Redirecting Pain Into Purpose
- toniatalksnow
- Nov 18
- 4 min read
By Tonia Talks Now
Real Talk – Real Life – Real Victory
Last night, I attended an event that touched me in a way I didn’t expect. I met Ken Moorman — a local entrepreneur, author, speaker, and founder of Jirani Coffeehouse in Old Town Manassas, Virginia. I had heard of him before, but I had never heard his story. And when he shared it, something inside me shifted.
Ken spoke with a raw transparency that made the entire room lean in. He talked about real life, real pain, and real victory — the same heartbeat behind everything I do with Tonia Talks Now. But what stopped me in my tracks was how closely his testimony reflected parts of my own.
Ken endured the unthinkable: losing both his mother and his son, and he personally went through a physical battle from a brain disease during the COVID pandemic. As he spoke, my heart immediately went to my own daughter… the one I lost four years ago in a tragic car crash. Grief is a language you never want to learn, but once you speak it, you can recognize it in someone else instantly.
Yet what amazed me about Ken wasn’t just his grief — it was his transformation.
He didn’t bury the pain. He didn’t drown in the sorrow.
He redirected it.
He let God repurpose it.
He allowed tragedy to sharpen his vision instead of destroy it.
And as he spoke, I realized we were connected by a shared truth:
Purpose is often born out of the very things that tried to break us.
The Lessons That Shifted My Spirit
Ken’s story left me with seven powerful reminders — truths that echoed deeply because I’ve seen them play out in my own life.
I’ve reworded them in my voice, but all credit goes to Ken Moorman, a man whose courage and vision are changing lives.
1. If God gives you a vision, He will send the people to help build it.
You don’t have to chase support. When the vision comes from God, the right people will be drawn to it, equipped for it, and committed to it.
2. If your dream is small enough for you to do alone, it’s too small.
God-sized visions require God-sized partnerships. If it feels bigger than you — good. It should.
3. Don’t wait until the finish line to let people in.
Invite others into the journey early. Believe that God will provide encouragers, investors, supporters, and believers long before the “grand opening.”
4. Expect greatness from the start.
If you plan small, you’ll struggle to sustain big. We serve a limitless God; your vision should reflect that.
5. When life gets hard — and it will — look at what’s already in your hands.
Your gifts, your experiences, your talents, your story… all of these are tools God has already equipped you with. Use them.
6. Build your vision to thrive even when you’re not present.
God isn’t done elevating you. Your purpose will grow, and you need a structure that can grow with you.
7. And the most important reminder — put self-care at the top of your list.
You can’t pour from an empty cup. Healing, rest, and well-being are not luxuries; they’re necessities
Redirecting Pain Into Purpose
As I listened to Ken, I could feel my daughter’s memory rise within me — not as a wound but as a push. A holy nudge. A reminder that God wastes nothing. Not the tears. Not the trauma. Not the heartbreak.
Pain is not the end of the story.
Pain is often the beginning of a new assignment.
Just like Ken used his grief to birth a thriving business that survived even the COVID shutdown… I am learning, every single day, to turn my scars into stepping stones. To turn tears into testimony. To turn heartbreak into healing — not just for me, but for others.
Your pain may feel heavy right now, but trust me when I say this:
God is not done.
Your story is not over.
And your purpose is bigger than your pain.
Here’s a few Reflection Questions for you:
1. What painful experience in your life is God inviting you to look at differently?
2. How have you seen purpose emerge from your struggles in the past?
3. Which of Ken’s seven lessons speaks to you most right now — and why?
4. What step can you take this week to move your vision forward?
5. Where do you need to make more room for self-care?
A Prayer for You
Heavenly Father,
I lift up every reader who is carrying pain — the silent kind, the heavy kind, the kind that hides behind a strong smile. Remind them today that You are the God who transforms grief into growth and wounds into wisdom. Show them how their story still has purpose. Breathe fresh vision into tired hearts. Surround them with the right people, the right support, and the right opportunities. Give them courage to dream big, strength to keep going, and the grace to rest when needed. Use every tear, every setback, and every valley to position them for victory.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Special Note
Last night’s event was made possible by Chelsea Rice-Glymph during her monthly Money Mindset meeting.
Learn more about how she helps safeguard your family’s future at:
More on Ken Moorman can be found at:
