Trudy Cathy White is the only daughter of Chick-fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy and his wife, Jeannette. Now, in a new interview promoting her book “Climb Every Mountain: Finding God Faithful in the Journey of Life,” Trudy is opening up about some of the lessons her dad taught her.

Trudy recalls growing up in a “fun, loving, happy home” on her family’s farm in Georgia, where she was raised with her two brothers. From an early age, Trudy’s parents instilled her with a strong Christian faith.

“One of the things I learned from my parents is that faith plays out in every walk of life; it’s not just isolated to your home, it’s a part of work and community. It’s foundational,” she said. “As children, we each had to wrestle with our own faith walk in terms of giving Jesus control of our lives. We had to make that decision for ourselves. I understood His love for me and the importance of following Him thanks to my parent’s example.”

Trudy was 19 when she convinced her father to let her run a Chick-fil-A restaurant. Her father would always remind her that it is “better to give than to receive,” and serving others is more important than personal gain.

“My Dad would always tell me, ‘If you will help others get what they want in life, you’ll get what you want out of life,'” she said. “In other words, he was telling me, ‘Trudy, get your eyes off of yourself and focus on the needs of those around you; how can you help others find what they want in life?’ We were created to do for others, and my father really understood that.”

One of the other biblical lessons Trudy’s dad taught her was that a “good name is better than riches,” something that Chick-fil-A still stands by to this day.

“We feel that’s a way we honor God through what we have,” Trudy said. “Our purpose is to glorify God and be a faithful steward and be a positive impact on all who come to contact with our restaurant. Our priorities in the business world are to glorify God in how we steward what He gives us and our influence on others. That’s spilled over into our lives. My parents taught me how to live and die well.”

“We believe,” she continued, “that we’re primarily in the people business, not the chicken business. We want to make a difference in the lives of everyone who walks through our doors.”

Trudy wanted to go public with the Christian lessons her parents taught her so that others can learn them as well.

“My parents overcame significant challenges in life; my father was born with a severe speech impediment, and in my own life we’ve had many challenges,” she said. “A Christian life doesn’t mean an easy life, and life is tough. But, the only true hope is found through a relationship with Christ, and I’m so thankful my parents taught me that.”

With all the negativity in the world today, Trudy is hoping that her book will give everyone a reminder that God is faithful, even in the darkest times.

“When I go through my struggles, I ask, ‘Does anybody else have to deal with this? Am I alone?” she confessed. “But you’re never alone. There is a good God who is walking through it all right alongside you.”

“Readers will hear my story and realize I have difficulties just like everyone else, and if people will look to Him, they will find God faithful in every mountain, that He’s a great source of strength. ‘I will lift my eyes up to the mountains’ – I love that verse,” Trudy concluded. “I think that it’s incredible to be able to learn that God uses al the trials in life to produce tools, and our greatest tool is reliance on Him.”