Tabby’s Story
I used to shape-shift to fit in. Now, I’ve never felt more loved and free to be herself.
I graduated in October 2023, completed the internship and am now on staff. That day felt like a miracle. But God wasn’t finished. Now? Now I wake up with deep gratitude. A quiet joy. A sense of purpose I never imagined for myself. It’s not that life is perfect. But the woman I was back then feels like a total stranger.
Hope didn’t just appear one day. I had to surrender. I had to risk believing that I might be worth fighting for. Today, I've nearly finished my Cert IV in Community Services. I love learning. I get excited when my results come back and I’ve passed. I love that what I’m learning helps me to support and encourage other women from understanding and now, from education too.
Not long ago, I woke up each morning feeling numb. Heavy with shame. Before Destiny, my life was a cycle of control and heartbreak. I had a loving family and faith in God, but inside I was starving. By 13, body image had consumed me. Food, exercise and control ruled me. It spilled over into drink, drugs, sex and really toxic relationships. I hit rock bottom. I lost my teaching dreams and almost lost myself.
Destiny Haven really changed everything. I was truly seen. Heard. I was given a safe space to rebuild from the inside out.
Hope didn’t just appear one day.
I had to surrender.
It's not just my future that looks different. It’s how I see myself now. I used to shape-shift into whoever I thought would be accepted. I hid behind makeup. I tried to earn affection with my body. I used drugs, men, food (or the lack of it) to gain some sense of control. I don’t do that anymore. I don’t chase attention. I don’t swear just to fit in. I’m content in my singleness. I eat to nourish my body and I move because it feels good, not to punish myself. I’m learning to walk into a room with quiet confidence. Not because I’ve got it all together, but because I KNOW that I am loved by God and others. That truth has changed everything.
At Destiny, I’ve been loved into wholeness. Janine believed in me before I even believed in myself. I don’t carry shame like I used to. She supported me in something I never thought possible—owning a horse. His name is Ricky.
Bringing Ricky into my life was a big decision. It came after prayer, waiting, and more prayer. He’s only been with me for a few months, but already, he’s teaching me so much. About trust.
About patience. About joy. Spending weekends with him gives me peace and fills my heart. Sometimes I take a look around, at my studies, my community, my horse, and I can’t believe this is my life. I don’t carry shame like I used to. I don’t believe I’m a burden anymore. I know I belong. Not because I earned it, but because Jesus chose me. That doesn’t mean I never struggle. Hard days still come. But now I know where to run. Not to drugs. Not to men. Not to control. I run to the God who made me. I’m not who I used to be and I thank God for that every single day.
I wake up every day grateful that this is my life. I didn’t even know how to pray for what I found here.
But God knew.
He answered.
And I will never be the same.