17/10/2025
I remember asking someone where they worked.
They looked right at me and said,
“Somewhere they don’t have felonies.”
Now, let me be clear: I’ve never been arrested. At that time, I was in college, working hard to get my Bachelor In Accounting and Economics, doing my best to grow. But that comment cut deep, not because it was true, but because it showed how low their expectations of me were.
Then another person once asked me, “You still fight?”
And I laughed, not because it was funny, but because the only fights I’ve ever been in were defending myself. I don’t throw hands; I throw prayers now. Because I realized not every attack deserves attendance.
That’s when I learned something important: People will try to keep you where they met you, especially when your growth convicts their comfort. They’ll question your peace because they’re still wrestling with chaos.
But here’s what God taught me, He doesn’t choose the most polished, He chooses the most purposed.
It reminds me of Joseph again. His brothers didn’t believe in him, his community turned their backs, and he ended up in prison for something he didn’t even do. But that same Joseph lied on, locked up, and left behind was later placed in charge of the very people who dismissed him.
That’s divine reversal. God said, “You don’t get to define what I’ve already refined. When people try to attach your name to a narrative that doesn’t belong to you, just remember:
They’re reading rumors, but God’s reading revelation.
They saw a fighter; God saw a finisher.
They saw a record; God saw redemption.
They saw a background check; God saw a breakthrough. This Chick has a federal security clearance
📸 Tavia Whitlowe
