Sophie Burr ‘28 is no stranger to the bitterness of grief, but she is also no stranger to the sweetness of God’s goodness. Her faith-based podcast has given her the opportunity to share testimonies with others and has also allowed her to grow in her own relationship with God.
Burr grew up as a Christian, but a friend’s death in the 9th grade made her realize she needed to change the way she lived.
“The opportunity came up to either continue to follow Jesus and trust He is good when life is hard, or live for the things of this world,” Burr said. “And I, at that time, just dove into who Jesus was and strengthened in my relationship with Him.”
She realized that while the situation was not good, God remained faithful and “took care of (her) heart.” In the midst of tragedy, she had “peace that surpasses all understanding.”
Burr, though doubtful of her abilities at times, took a leap of faith and started her podcast “Honey in the Rock” to share the evidence of God’s work in her life as she struggled with anxiety and depression.
“I’ve seen the Lord be like honey to me, sweet and gentle and gracious and kind. But He also was a rock in my life on good days and on bad days, when I was in the valley and on the mountaintop. He was this firm foundation in my life,” Burr says. This understanding of God’s character is what inspired the podcast’s name.
After a few solo episodes, she began incorporating guest interviews with friends and mentors from church to share how God has been transforming and redeeming other people’s lives. Burr typically asks her guests to share what God is doing in their lives, but also allows them to steer the conversation to what is on their heart.
“All of our stories are different, but they’re all important,” Burr said.
It’s these interactions with her guests that encourage her to continue making the podcast.
“I just remember what a blessing it is to be able to have those conversations with people and that they trust me to share their story,” Burr says.
Burr also says she is a “big journaler,” which inspired her to write a book titled “Oh Honey.”
“Oh Honey” is organized by subject matter so that readers can go to chapters that address their current struggles. The book covers topics such as comparison, grief, anxiety and depression.
“I would find a story in my life where I struggled with that, or I saw fruit from it, and I would write that story, and I would do research of where that same lesson was taught in the Bible,” Burr said. “Each chapter pretty much has a personal story and then how it relates to the Bible or the same lesson that a character in the Bible learned.”
Prayer and persistence were integral parts in putting the book together, she says. As someone with dyslexia, Burr faced both outside criticism and self-doubt.
To overcome her insecurities, she kept her eyes on the Lord and turned to Him in prayer. “Before I wrote, I would just be praying like, ‘I don’t want this to be my words, I don’t want this to be attention and glory for me, I just want it to glorify Your kingdom.’”
The thoughtfulness and hard work Burr put into writing “Oh Honey” proved to be emotionally gratifying for both her and her readers.
“I opened up wounds I didn’t know weren’t healed yet, so it actually was very good for me and my heart to process things, and then, hopefully through processing this, it’ll make somebody else feel less alone in their walk with Jesus,” Burr said.
The main message Burr hopes to share through “Honey in the Rock” and “Oh Honey” is “that God’s goodness isn’t defined by our circumstances, and that life is hard. We live in a sinful world, but it’s worth it to follow Jesus.”
Burr feels that she has been called to “devote her whole life” to ministry. While Burr isn’t exactly sure what her ministry will look like in the future, right now she finds it in posting podcast episodes every Tuesday.
To learn more about Burr’s story and the sweet message she has to share, check out her podcast Honey in the Rock on Spotify, Apple Podcast or Youtube, or read “Oh Honey,” available for purchase on Amazon.
