Meeting Chrysandra

You know that feeling you get when you suddenly realize while you are heading somewhere to do something that you really don’t want to go?

I know it well – and I was trying to get to an exercise class but I was running late, tired, kind of grouchy about it and suddenly realized that I didn’t want to go and no one was making me.  I was just about to turn the car around when I felt a small but very clear voice telling me to go anyway.    So reluctantly I did, and when I finally got to the class it had already started and it was jam packed.  Now if you’ve ever had the desire to torture yourself with a barre class before, you know that the space on that barre is a premium and as I entered the room looking for any spot to squeeze into, I sensed everyone there  immediately putting up an invisible space barrier to keep me out.

I sighed, gave up and turned to leave when a beautiful, smiling face and the lovely young lady it belonged to beckoned me to squeeze in next to her.   When we turned to face the other direction I saw the Christian K-Love radio station logo on the back of her T-shirt, but I didn’t need that extra little confirmation to know that she loved Jesus.  He beamed right through her.

When the class finally ended, I turned to her and said, “I think I was supposed to come here today just to meet you. Tell me what you do.”   What proceeded to come out of her mouth was a story that confirmed I was there for a divine appointment that day.   Her name was Chrysandra and she had taken a senior project in high school and turned it into a successful nonprofit.  The ultimate goal of “The Calling”  is turning people to Jesus though finding their personal, unique, God-given callings.   It was obvious to me that God wanted me to come alongside her in some capacity, although at that time I had no idea what that looked like.
I drove home excited to find ways that I could help my new friend make connections, only to take a look at her website and be BLOWN AWAY by the things God was already doing through her.  Clearly, the Lord had brought me to meet her for some purpose and had grand, holy plans for our friendship.  And indeed, fast forwarding through the past few years I have seen them come full circle as she recently asked me to join her staff at The Calling and to my delight, serve as her personal assistant.
Spending time with Chrysandra now, when I reflect on that day I thought I was headed to an appointment with her but instead it was she who had an appointment with me.  Chrysandra’s days are completely full of amazing, divine appointments and I always laugh out loud when I see her latest Facebook post or Instagram photo and whoever she might be with or what she might be doing.  She steps out in faith every day that God will direct her steps and He does it in mighty, amazing and remarkable ways.

I was grumpy, inconvenienced and annoyed that day, but God had other
plans for me.   I’m just glad I was obedient and went to that class anyway!  That’s not always the case…but I’d like it to be.  I have been challenged to see each day as a wide open scheduling opportunity for divine appointments.    I have to make that very deliberate choice over and over again, but when I do, I see God’s fingerprints on my calendar.

We run, race, tumble, hustle and scramble through our days, and any unexpected interruption to our planned schedule can be an extreme annoyance.  My challenge to myself and to you, is to look again with God colored glasses at the way your day is unfolding.  Is it really a total kink in your plans, or does your loving Father have better plans for you than you can imagine?  We both know the answer!  Can we faithfully approach each day on the lookout for divine appointments?  You never know, any one of those could impact your life in ways you would never expect.   It did mine.

Just one other little tidbit – that was the only time ever that Chrysandra has attended that Wednesday noon class.  Here’s to handing off your calendar to the Master Scheduler!

— Taya Johnson

Learn more about The Calling and see Chrysandra’s beautiful face at www.thecallingnonprofit.org.