Soft Beginnings & Divine Redirection

Hey friends,

It’s been a while… again. But you know I always come back when I have something real to say, so let me update you.

First things first, I don’t give the Lord enough credit. Like… at all. Because He really be up there working overtime for your girl, and I just need to give Him more praise, more worship, and more thanksgiving. He always shows up and shows out for me, even when I don’t fully understand what He’s doing in the moment.

So, sometime last year, I applied for a job at the school I was working at—my alma mater. I just knew I was going to get it. I loved the school, I loved the people, and I was confident in my ability to be exactly what that position needed. I saw myself in that role. I felt ready.

But… I didn’t get it.

And y’all, I was devastated. Hurt. Confused. There were days I didn’t even want to go back to work because I felt stuck, like I wasn’t growing anymore. It hurt even more because I knew I was capable. And if I’m being honest, I felt like they knew it too.

But instead of sitting in those feelings, I tried to push them away. I told myself I shouldn’t feel that way. That I needed to just move on and be grateful.

But let me pause right here and say this—especially for my women, my Black women—we are allowed to feel. All of it. The disappointment. The hurt. Even the pettiness if that’s where you are in the moment. You don’t have to rush yourself out of your emotions just to seem strong. Feeling is part of healing.

Anyways… I didn’t get the job. Life kept moving, and so did I. I stayed where I was, trying to figure out what was next for me.

And then… one phone call changed everything.

I was on the phone with an old colleague of mine, and he was asking me about my goals—what I wanted, what I saw for myself in higher education. And if you know me, you know I love a good reflective conversation, so I shared my heart.

And he hit me with a question that really stuck:
“What are you going to do to get there?”

Whew.

Because it’s one thing to have goals, but it’s another thing to actually move toward them.

A few weeks later, he sent me a job application and simply said, “Fill this out.”

Now let me tell you—I was terrified when I saw the location. Like… a whole new city? A whole new life? I don’t know about that.

But here’s the crazy part… I had just prayed and asked God to make me uncomfortable so I could be comfortable.

And baby… He answered.

That moment felt like one of those quiet confirmations. The kind where you don’t hear a loud voice, but deep down, you just know. After I connected with my now supervisor, everything felt natural. Real. Aligned. It didn’t feel forced. It felt like peace… even in the uncertainty.

And that’s how I knew—it was Jesus.

Looking back now, not getting that job broke my heart at the time, but it also broke me out of a space I had outgrown. I was so focused on what I thought I wanted that I couldn’t see what God had for me.

That “no” was redirection.
That disappointment was protection.
That closed door made room for a new beginning.

Now I’m in a new city, navigating a new life, becoming a new version of myself. And I won’t lie—it’s not always easy. Starting over comes with quiet nights, unfamiliar spaces, and moments where you question everything.

But it also comes with growth.
With clarity.
With becoming.

I’m learning to embrace soft beginnings—to not rush the process, to not pressure myself to have it all figured out, and to trust that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.

So if you’re in a season where things didn’t work out the way you planned… just know, it might be working out the way it’s supposed to.

God hasn’t forgotten about you.

He’s just writing a story you couldn’t have imagined for yourself.

Authentically,
Tam