It's All About the Journey

What is your testimony when you feel as though God has blessed you with a life of abundance? Sure, there were a couple of bumps in the road but such is this thing we call Life. I was the girl who grew up in a loving home with two parents and four brothers. My home life was by no means perfect but I had a great childhood. At the center were two nurturing parents who loved the heck out of their children and gave us their very best. I was introduced to my husband through a mutual friend when I was seventeen years old and we began a courtship out of the movies. A year after we met, I left home to attend college.  Five years later at the age of 23, I became Mrs. Tyson Chandler and soon after the mother of our three beautiful children.

Here, is where my journey truly begins.  You see my husband happened to be the #2 NBA Draft pick straight out of high school to the Chicago Bulls. I was very quickly plucked from a life of anonymity to a life where people know my name simply because of someone I love.

I wholeheartedly believe that God chose Tyson and I to be mates for a purpose greater than we can ever begin to truly imagine.  A purpose for His works! I believe we are destined for an Ephesians 3:20 kind of life. He began molding us separately throughout our childhoods and again as a couple. He began shaping us, feeding us, and preparing our hearts with His unyielding word.

I later realized that God had also given me a platform. In the seasons where it seemed that I was “just” a homemaker (or as I like to call it, a domestic engineer), or “just” a mom, or “just” an NBA wife…I was so much more. I was a child of God and my Father was preparing me to lead in an industry that is desperate to know Him.

In understanding my “purpose,” it doesn’t surprise me that God would place Tyson on such a large stage in an industry where there are not very many people who know and worship our Savior Jesus Christ. It also doesn’t surprise me that He chose me to be Tyson’s helpmate.

So here I am today talking about Jesus  every opportunity I’m given while living my purpose through my many passions of philanthropy, journalism, and fashion. I have had the opportunity to grace the pages of Vogue Magazine, be dressed for the Met Gala by Anna Wintour, work with some amazing, world changing organizations, and meet some truly exceptional people.  In the midst of this amazing journey, God revealed to me that as long as I continue to seek Him and only Him FIRST, all the success and opportunities would come.

This Holy Spirit revelation came at a time when I was desperately asking God, “Is what I am doing for me, Father, or am I doing all of these ‘public’ things for you and your glory?” This is when I realized that my testimony was a part of the purpose God had designed me for: to encourage YOU. The woman in leadership who is fulfilling her purpose, passion, and potential, and sometimes on a stage that is much more grand than she ever imagined. Remember that it is okay to pursue success, whatever that may look like to you, BUT the key is to always stay focused on God and not on YOURSELF during the pursuit!

Kimberly Chandler

Kimberly is a philanthropist and journalist. Connect with her on Twitter @KimJChandler.