Praise God for two years of Honey & Hope Co. He put this call on my life and has been with me the whole time, guiding each step of the way and being my rock in all circumstances. His voice has been clear throughout it all, and even when the enemy tries to make me doubt, God's quick to remind me that His hand is at work, and this is what I’m called to do and where I’m supposed to be.
We’ve made it this far and I’m already bawling about the goodness of God and the ways I’ve seen Him work in this business/ministry. When I reflect on what I’ve learned, and what the ups and downs have been of running Hope and Hope Co., I could speak about so many things from the joy of creating for the Lord to the skills I’ve learned like bookkeeping, content creation, social media management, website design, etc. I’m so grateful for the entire experience, but if you ask what has been the best part, without a doubt I would say getting to experience the love of God in a new way through the community He’s built through Honey & Hope Co.
God is so full of love, that in 1 John 4:8, we read He is love. “Whoever does not know love does not know God, because God is love.” Humanity doesn’t know what love is apart from God because His character defines love, and what it means to love. We can see this throughout the Bible, in stories we read where God is bestowing endless mercy, grace, and compassion. The greatest example of this love is seen in that He sent His only son to die on the cross in place of us, bearing our sins, and rising again so that humanity may be forgiven and set free of our sins. Praise God for the love He has shown us and continues to show us.
By God’s grace, I have been blessed with running this business, encouraging other women to grow confident in their faith so that they boldly proclaim the name of Jesus to their communities. I dealt with insecurity, doubt, anxiety, worry, stress, pride and so much more that all stemmed from my lack of trust in God. I grew up in a believing household where I knew of the Lord but didn’t have a personal relationship with Him until I was 19. When I went away to college I could not see or feel God’s presence anywhere, my environment became toxic and a burden too great to bear. I was having regular anxiety attacks about the unknown and even everyday things like what shoes to wear. I was so overwhelmed with the Devil’s lie, that the smallest things would cause me to snap and mentally breakdown. During my Sophomore year of college, I went home for Christmas break and it allowed me to get away from the environment that was slowly destroying me. It was a window of clarity and I knew in that moment that I couldn’t continue like this, that Jesus was everything I could ever need. So in my childhood bedroom, I humbled myself before God and surrendered every burden I was trying to carry on my own. I admitted that my path was not better and that I needed Jesus to walk with me every step of the way. I can remember being instantly set free after praying that prayer. The burdens I was carrying felt like they physically lifted off my shoulders. There was a sense of calm and peace within me like never before. Since then, God has been transforming my heart and has called me to share my testimony through Honey & Hope Co.
Since starting Honey & Hope Co. God has brought women from all parts of the world together to grow in their faith, both online and in person. In both parts of this community, God has revealed His love through and to those who seek Him. People often say that if you're having a bad day you should serve someone else, and it’s so true. Nothing can prepare you for the blessing of loving another. That has been my favorite part of the past two years is getting to serve this community and seeing the way God is moving through it. There’s been so many impactful moments but I want to share three of them with you that have encouraged me.
There was one market I did where a fella came into my booth and began to look through the clothing rack and It didn’t take Him long to realize it was full of Christian apparel. After he shuffled through a few shirts I heard him excitedly tell his friend, and I quote, “That’s a Jesus shirt!” In a flash, he was gone, with only a trace of a snicker. This moment revealed the power the name of Jesus holds. Whenever I share this story it’s inevitably to hear “I'm sorry” in response. Most see this as a battle lost, but for me, I see Jesus at work. It may not have been THE pivotal moment, but after seeing Jesus’s name on that shirt it stirred something in his soul. Jesus might use that moment for a miracle.
At the second market, I went to, I witnessed the immense love a customer felt from a miracle she experienced before. She walked into my booth and immediately started sobbing. I was taken aback by the emotion she was experiencing, curious what was behind her tears. She paused whatever God had stirred in her just for a moment to share that seeing Honey & Hope Co. being a light in the world meant so much to her. She never expressed why as sharing that little bit already took so much courage. I reflect on this story often because it’s a reminder from God of what is written in Proverbs 3:5-6, “trust in the lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways submit to him and He will make your path straight.” It's imperative to be obedient in what God calls us to do because often it’s greater than ourselves and our lives. God is always at work, calling all of humanity to redemption through Jesus Christ, and sometimes he’s asking that we trust Him, and we are obedient to what He's calling us to. Our obedience could be used to alter the course of someone’s eternity.
A sweet young lady got off her shift at work and as she was walking to her car, she happened to walk past my booth. Each pop-up I’ll display a different shirt out front and this particular day I had put the God is greater than the highs and lows shirt on display. Who knows that was not by accident? God was going to use that shirt for His glory. As she was walking by she pauses and then comes in. We started talking and in short, she had been going through a breakup and other hardships in life and had strayed from God. She explained that God had been whispering for her to return to Him. It was that night she couldn't deny the yearning of her soul to be in a relationship with her creator. What she needed was a friend and she received that through Jesus Christ. I often think about this young lady because of how miraculous God's love is and how it sometimes comes when you least expect it. This happened minutes before the event was over and my mind was disheartened by the lack of financial success that the day had brought, ready to go home and try again tomorrow. God, however, had other plans. To restore a relationship with one daughter and to remind another that if you have the love of Jesus, that is everything you need.
There are many other moments but It's amazing how through our testimonies God's love can be revealed through anyone, young or old, and any circumstance. In addition to seeing God’s love through serving y’all, I also saw it through the love you have given to Honey & Hope Co. Your prayers, your kind words, and your support of this ministry, are such a blessing and I’m grateful every day. I may not ever understand why has called me, but that is okay, because through Honey & Hope Co. God’s love is changing lives.