FROM OUTCAST to OVERCOMER: How God LED me to a BETTER JOB

outcast, workplace, testimony, faith, resilience, personal growth, God, transformation, hope, encouragement, #testimonytuesday 

summary

In this heartfelt testimony, Erika shares her experiences of feeling like an outcast in her workplace, detailing the challenges and mistreatment she faced. Through her struggles, she emphasizes the importance of faith and resilience, ultimately finding hope and transformation in her life. Erika's journey illustrates how God can bring about change and restoration, encouraging others who may feel marginalized or overlooked.

takeaways

• Erika felt like an outcast at her workplace.
• She faced discrimination and mistreatment from coworkers and management.
• Despite her hard work, she received no recognition or support.
• Erika prayed for a new job to improve her situation.
• A customer ministered to her, offering hope and encouragement.
• She shifted her mindset to gratitude, focusing on the positives.
• After a period of prayer and faith, she found a new job.
• Her new job allowed her to spend more time with her children.
• Erika's hard work led to significant career success and financial stability.
• She emphasizes that God sees and loves those who feel like outcasts.

Transcript

Erika (00:00)
you ever felt like an outcast and no matter how hard you try to shake that feeling it doesn't go away? Well I know how you feel as well and so does Jesus. Hi my name is Erica and welcome back to Where is Your Voice Ministries? I am so blessed that you are here. Today's topic is my testimony about being an outcast at my last workplace as a server.

So first, what is an outcast? An outcast is a person who has been rejected by society or a social group. Being an outcast is the life I lived my whole life. But today I'm going to share with you how Jesus met me right where I was at as an outcast, as a server. I used to work at the restaurant that was in an area known for racism.

work there I did experience it. I had a manager changing my name for it to be spelled in a way that was like ebonics. So my name is Erica but they would spell it like airwreka. I was accused of stealing a manager's purse. The cooks would poison my food. Like literally I would be sick from eating food there. And the manager knew about it because I spoke to the manager about it and he told me that he actually

seeing the cooks doing it and wondered if I got sick but did nothing about it. I had shifts taken away from me given to younger white girls who worked.

me to the bones as well, but no matter how hard I worked, I never received one compliment or accolade. I only received criticism and threats to be fired for issues that I didn't cause. Meanwhile, I worked with coworkers who were getting drunk while at work and passing out on customer tables, filling ID checks with gas, stealing food, calling off work, and the list goes

on and they didn't receive any consequences for the things that they were doing. I was truly an outcast and I thought if I left this location and went to a different location maybe the treatment would be better because it was a little bit closer into the city. So I put in a transfer request. Three years later

That I had to go over my manager's head to do because he would not allow me to leave I had been asking him to transfer to another restaurant for the three years that I was there So finally I was like i'm gonna go over his head and go to corporate the transfer gets approved and i'm excited because i'm saying Finally, I am free to have a fresh start But I was wrong the treatment at this new location was even worse than the last I was even told that because

I was black I could only work on the patio.

I worked even harder at this location than the last to prove that I can move up in the company, but nothing I did work. I would get a hundred every time on a mystery shopper and wouldn't even be mentioned. I worked 70 plus hours a week and it was like I never worked because that's how they treated me. I started to try to make friends there, but that didn't work either. I booked a room at the embassy, got my

makeup done, ordered food and drinks because

I invited all of these co-workers to come to my birthday and they were all excited about it. They were planning it with me. So on that day, my birthday, went to get my makeup done, got the food, got the drinks, set up the room. And one after the next person started to cancel on the day of my birthday. And I remember I sat there, full face of makeup in that room and Buckhead crying.

and tears because not one person showed up for my birthday. And so just said, you know, I just sat there and I cried about it. But three years went by and nothing had changed. The treatment just got worse.

And one time I even spoke to the manager about how I felt, but he just gaslighted me. Didn't hear a word I said. So I started to pray for a new job because also why work this job? I was a single mom. And since...

I was at work Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. I hardly got time with my kids, so I wanted more time with my kids and a better pay. It was starting to make me feel bad that I was not putting my kids to bed every night, not cooking them dinner every night but the weekend. So I was praying relentlessly for years for another job. But then one day, while I was working,

and closing down the restaurant, this customer walked up to me and he was the last customer in the restaurant. He was at the bar and he was drunk. And I remember he was trying to speak to me, but I didn't want to talk to him for too long because I would get in trouble if I talked to customers too long while we were trying to close up the restaurant.

but he was not letting it up. He was like, she is going to talk to me. And he started to minister to me. He told me that God sees how hard I have been working. And I may think that nobody cares or notices all the work I do, but God does. And he is sending you help. He said my whole life was going to change within two years and I will never have to sweep a floor like this again. He told me everyone relies on me.

but God is about to make it to where I can rely on God.

He told me his name and even said that he promised that this will happen. The next day I had to open the restaurant and I saw that customer again because he came back up there. He forgot his wallet since he was like pretty drunk. And I said hi to him, but he looked at me like he didn't know who I was. And I thought to myself, that's odd. And I wanted to believe him so bad, but it was hard to. So I just started to be grateful about everything because a coworker there told me

that like what you feed grows, like what wolf you feed will grow. So I was like, I want a grateful wolf to grow. So I said, I'm just gonna be grateful about everything. Even if a guest leaves me a bad tip, I'm grateful that I was able to serve them because I don't know their heart. Maybe they really did wanna leave me a good tip, but they just couldn't. Even if someone treated me bad at the job, I was still grateful about it.

remember saying to another coworker that I am thankful for the bad treatment that I get here because this is just letting me know that God has something better for me. He has something more in store for me, even on my birthday.

I made a post about how grateful I was. I said I was grateful for my friends, I was grateful for my job, I was grateful for my finances, I am grateful for everything. And this girl commented and she said, girl, when you shift your mindset to gratefulness, watch how God is gonna work in your life.

So three weeks later after that, my son prayed for me to get a new job. And two weeks after that, I got a new job and I put a one day notice in at my current job.

And at the time I tried to quit, they asked me to be a bartender. Do you know for the five years that I have been working there, I have been wanting to be a bartender? And then the day that I tried to quit, they put the opportunity in my face and I politely declined. And do you know a month later...

After I started this new job, COVID happened and the world shut down. But because now my new job was a corporate sales job, I was able to work home during COVID and be with my kids. So God gave me the time with my kids in a way that I didn't even know was possible. But this new job was hard. It was scary because I had no experience. And at first I did well at the job, but then it turned around and it seemed like I was doing terrible.

And it was like gut wrenching how bad I was doing. Like was actually doing the worst out of everybody on my team. And I remember one day at the park, I was like contemplating quitting this job.

And I remember just like thinking that maybe I should just quit. But as I was walking, I thought about my why. And I was like, I get more time with my kids. I can put my kids to bed every night. I can cook for them every night. I'm at the park with my kids right now because of this job. So I was like, when I get back to work, I'm going to pour everything I have into this job. And if it doesn't work, then it's not for me. So I kept praying and Jesus

partnered with me and meanwhile I was working my tail up. I would work to almost 9 p.m. every day, weekends, whenever I could I was working. Two years later, I was a six-figure earner. I was taking my kids to Legoland, Disney World, the beach. I bought my first designer purse and shoes and then the next year later I bought a home for my family. The new job

praised my work ethic like I never received ever in my life. I would get gifts, cards, favoritism from my managers. It was like God was giving me back everything times 10 that I lost. It was truly amazing. Such a blessing. I brought in between 10 to 20,000 every month. I was like, I didn't even know that making this money was even possible for a girl like me.

But one thing I always knew that it was God and it was truly blessing me and restoring my faith in Him. So that is my testimony about being an outcast at work

I want to leave you with this scripture so that you can know that if you are an outcast, you are in the right place for God to use you. So in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 26 through 31, brothers and sisters, think of what you were. You were

when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards. Not many were influential. Not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of this world to shame the wise. God chose the weak things of this world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things and the things that are not to nullify the things that are so that no one may boast before him.

It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus who has become for us wisdom from God that is our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Therefore, as it is written, let the one who boasts boast in the Lord. So as you heard, God chooses those who are unseen. I'll cast this.

People ignored, abused, so keep praying to him. Trust that he will save you because he did it for me. He will do it for you. There is nothing special about me. When I say, when I was at that server job, I was a lukewarm Christian. I barely went to church. I didn't know how to pray, but I prayed in the best way I knew how.

So before I go, I just want to pray us out. And if this encouraged you, please let me know. Share it with some friends. And I know how hard it is in a workplace. I truly do. I have faced persecution a lot at many jobs, but God sees you. He loves you. He is there with you. Just keep praying for him. And also when he does help you out, you also do have to take that leap of faith and go. Because imagine if I didn't leave. Imagine if I would have

quit before it was time.

Anyway, let's pray. Lord, we come to you in the name of Jesus. Thank you, Father God, for just allowing me to be a vessel to share this testimony, Lord. I hope those who hear this testimony will know, Lord, that they are hearing it because you have a bigger plan for them, Lord. They are hearing this testimony, Lord, because you see and you hear what they are going through, God, and you are sending help, Lord. You are sending someone or even another opportunity to make a way for

them to leave that Lord because they have been faithful, they have been loyal, and they have been crying out to you God. And we are asking you Lord to come quickly, come swiftly Lord because they are trusting in you and believing in you that you will do this and you are not slow to keep your promises God. In Jesus name we pray, amen. All right, thank you so much for tuning in. Have a wonderful day. Bye.