When Life Doesn’t Go as Planned

What do you do when life doesn’t turn out the way you prayed it would?In this honest and powerful episode, Willow sits down with Nicci Smith—known by many as Tanner’s mom from Love on the Spectrum—to talk about the journey she never expected and the God who met her in it.When Nicci first received her son’s autism diagnosis, she was overwhelmed with fear, grief, and uncertainty. Like many moms, she found herself asking: What does this mean for his future? What does this mean for our family?But what unfolded over the years wasn’t the story she feared—it was something deeper, richer, and more meaningful than she could have imagined.This conversation is for the woman who:Feels like she’s living a story she didn’t chooseIs grieving what she thought life would look likeIs exhausted from trying to “fix” or control the outcomeWonders if God is still at work in the middle of it allNicci vulnerably shares how it took over a decade to move from striving and fear into true surrender—and how that shift changed everything.You’ll hear how God used Tanner’s life not just to shape their family, but to impact millions through his joy, authenticity, and love for people.What You’ll Learn:Why surrender—not striving—is the turning point in hard seasonsHow to redefine success when life looks different than expectedThe tension between pursuing help and trusting God’s planWhat it looks like to grieve honestly and still hold onto faithHow God can use what feels like weakness to impact others in powerful waysConnect with Nicci:Instagram | instagram.com/nicci_smith6/Podcast: Talk To Me, Sis | Apple PodcastsFollow Willow: Website | Instagram | Facebook💑Check out Collide’s website for info on upcoming conferences, events, and resources.📲Follow Collide on Facebook and Instagram for encouragement, inspo and a fun peek into our ministry.📰Plus, subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date on all things Collide!Mentioned in this episode:Book | Collide: Running Into Healing When Life Hands You HurtNational Bestseller ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Life hands us hurt we never asked for—leaving us anxious, insecure, and stuck. In Collide, Willow invites you to stop numbing and running, and start bravely stepping into the places you’ve avoided—because Jesus meets us in our mess, and healing starts there.