Favor Fridays with Tony™: When God Favors You to Rise Without Permission: The Courage to Soar When Doors Refuse to Open

There will be moments in life when you realize something powerful:

Nobody is coming to give you permission.

No invitation. No approval. No open door.

Just a calling.

And a choice.

Will you wait… or will you rise?

This Favor Fridays with Tony™, and on the 20th day of Women’s History Month, we spotlight a woman who refused to wait for permission from a world that told her “no.”

A woman who didn’t just chase her dreams…

She flew above every barrier placed in her way.

Her name was

Bessie Coleman

And her story is a masterclass in what it looks like when favor meets fearless faith.

A Dream the World Tried to Ground

Bessie Coleman was born in 1892 in Texas, into a world that had already decided what she could not be.

She was Black. She was a woman. She was poor.

And in early 20th-century America, those three realities came with limitations that most people never escaped.

But Bessie had a dream.

She wanted to fly.

Not just admire airplanes. Not just watch from the ground.

She wanted to be in the sky.

There was just one problem.

No flight school in the United States would accept her.

Not because she lacked intelligence.Not because she lacked ability.

But because of who she was.

And for many people, that would have been the end of the story.

When Doors Close, Favor Creates a New Path

But favor doesn’t always show up as an open door.

Sometimes favor shows up as a closed door that forces you to find a higher path.

Instead of giving up, Bessie did something radical.

She learned French.

Saved money.

And traveled to France to attend flight school—because that was the only place that would give her a chance.

Let that sink in.

She didn’t wait for America to change.

She changed her environment.

Isaiah 43:19 says:

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

Bessie Coleman walked that verse out in real time.

When the path didn’t exist…

God made one.

Rising Without Permission

In 1921, Bessie Coleman became the first Black woman in the world to earn a pilot’s license.

Not because doors opened easily.

But because she refused to stay grounded.

She rose anyway.

Without permission.

Without validation.

Without approval from the systems that tried to exclude her.

And that is where many people miss their moment.

They wait for:

• validation

• recognition

• acceptance

• opportunity

before they move.

But favor doesn’t always come with a green light.

Sometimes favor says:

“Go anyway.”

The Courage to Be First

Being first is not glamorous.

It’s lonely.

It’s difficult.

It’s misunderstood.

When Bessie returned to the United States, she didn’t just fly.

She performed.

Air shows.

Stunts.

Daring aerial maneuvers.

She became known as “Queen Bess.”

But even in her success, she faced barriers.

She refused to perform at segregated events unless Black audiences were allowed through the

same entrances.

She used her platform to challenge injustice.

She didn’t just rise.

She lifted others.

Faith That Moves Before It Makes Sense

One of the most powerful truths about favor is this:

Faith often requires movement before clarity.

Hebrews 11:1 says:

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Bessie didn’t see the full path.

She didn’t know how everything would work out.

But she moved anyway.

She acted on what God placed inside her.

And that’s the kind of faith that activates favor.

Women’s History Month: Breaking the Ceiling of Expectation

On this 20th day of Women’s History Month, Bessie Coleman represents something deeper than achievement.

She represents disruption.

She shattered expectations.

She redefined possibility.

She proved that limitations are often man-made—not God-ordained.

Galatians 3:28 reminds us:

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one…”

God does not assign ceilings.

People do.

And favor has a way of breaking them.

Real-Life Application: Where Are You Waiting for Permission?

Let’s bring this home.

Where in your life are you waiting?

Waiting for approval?

Waiting for the “right time”?

Waiting for someone to validate your calling?

Here’s the truth:

You may be waiting on something God never required.

Some of you have ideas God already approved.

Some of you have dreams God already authorized.

Some of you have gifts God already equipped.

But you’re standing still…

Because you’re waiting for permission from people who were never assigned to your purpose.

The Favor to Move Anyway

Favor is not always comfortable.

Favor will stretch you.

Favor will challenge you.

Favor will place you in spaces where you feel unqualified.

But that’s the point.

Because when God favors you, it’s not about your qualifications.

It’s about His calling.

2 Corinthians 12:9 says:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.”

Bessie didn’t wait until the world was ready.

She moved when God was ready.

A Declaration of Bold Movement

Today, make this declaration:

• I will not wait for permission to walk in my purpose.

• I will not shrink to fit into spaces that cannot contain me.

• I will rise where God has called me.

• I will move in faith, even when the path is unclear.

• I will soar beyond every limitation placed before me.

A Prayer for Courage to Rise

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the favor that calls us higher.Thank You for the dreams You’ve placed inside of us.

Give us the courage to move without permission.Strengthen us to rise above fear, doubt, and limitation.

Help us to trust You when the path is unclear.And remind us that what You have called us to do, You have already equipped us to accomplish.

Let us soar in purpose, walk in faith, and live boldly in Your favor.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

Closing Reflection — Rise Anyway

Bessie Coleman didn’t wait for the world to change.

She rose above it.

She didn’t ask for permission.

She moved with purpose.

And her legacy still speaks today.

The question is:

What are you waiting for?

Because the same God who made a way for her…

Is still making ways today.

🔥 Step Into Your Calling

If you’re inspired by stories of courage, purpose, and the battle between light and darkness, then you’ll love my S.O.L.A.D.™: Soldiers of Light Against Darkness™ novel series.

These stories are filled with characters who face impossible odds—and rise anyway.

👉 Get your copies here:www.tyronetonyreedjr.com/the-shop

Because your story…

Is waiting for you to rise.