The most important word to me in this verse is HOPE! Without that HOPE we can be just as patient as we can be and we can pray all the time, but if you take HOPE out of the verse, what do you have? It is that HOPE that will give you encouragement that our God will intervene in your trial. And if you take out any HOPE within your prayers, then your prayers are empty, if you do not have any HOPE that those prayers will be answered.

To tell the story of my life, I had to have HOPE that God would give me the right words and would direct my way in finding out how to share my story and when. The burden to write this book began in 2013, before that honestly, but I remember 2013 was the first time I actually sat down and wrote something. But then in 2013, I had to go back into the work field full time, which didn’t give me time and it kind of got tossed to the side.

I had a very special confirmation about writing my story in 2019, and yet it still took me until 2024 before it was completed.

The ladies of our church went to a lady’s conference. The leader of our lady’s group would always ask if there was anything specific, we needed to pray about, only I didn’t share my prayer. I wanted to know beyond a shadow of a doubt when God answered my prayer. So, my prayer that year was for God to make it plain and clear IF I was supposed to write my life’s story.

Well, it seemed like every message was zeroed right in on me. For example, things like “You’ve got to follow your heart”. Or “You’ve got to be obedient and do what God is asking you to do”. But then, the last night in the altar service I was praying and was under such a conviction spirit because I knew God was telling me to write.

BUT GOD! As I was down in the altar service, the leader of our lady’s group, turned around to me and handed me a piece of paper. It said, “You’re supposed to write your story”. You could have knocked me over with a feather, literally probably. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was supposed to do this now, but how and when?

Even since that night, it’s been 5 years. But I’ve worked a full-time 40-hour-a-week job for the last 5 years. It was a very grueling job towards the end of my time working there. I had to quit for my own physical health.

So, in the summer of 2023, I was free and I had time, so I started writing. The more I wrote the more I wanted to write. But then it was time to find another job, which I did at a Christian School. As it turns out, during the day at school, I would have at least 1 hour of free time, so I began to write during that time. So honestly, most of the book was written from the summer of 2023 to March/April 2024.

I’ve been asked to write more books, but I’m going to need some more guidance and direction from God as to what to even write about after you’ve written an autobiography.

I do hope that you will enjoy the story of my life and my prayer is that my words will help someone with something they may be struggling with. Especially if you happen to be a young woman who is still attending a PH church, but you’re beginning to have doubts and struggling with the thought that you will never be good enough because of all the “standards” or rules to follow. If that’s you, I pray this book will touch you and help you to realize that the most important “standard” to be concerned with is God’s UNCONDITIONAL STANDARD of love.

Rejoice in HOPE!

~June Cox