Manna and Coffee

“Joy is the serious business of Heaven.” –  C. S. Lewis

This past week an ordinary mother named Candace Payne posted a video of herself laughing hysterically while wearing a talking Chewbacca mask on her Facebook page. Amazingly, this silly video went viral and Candace has helped millions of people get in touch with their inner child and have a much-needed belly laugh. Apparently the stores have all sold out of their Chewbacca masks as have people flocked to the stores this past week to try to purchase some of Candace’s joy.

Laughter is a gift. A few years ago I wrote a devotional entitled Laughter, Joy and Jesus about joy and the power of the laugh. God invented laughter and we would have better spiritual and physical health if we were not so darn serious all the time. Of course the Star Wars franchise has embraced this video because it’s great advertisement for them and they are making even more money. It’s kind of sad to me that people think that they can buy joy through a plastic mask. According to Candace’s Facebook page, she studied musical theater at Ouachita Baptist University, and after looking through her Facebook posts, I think that it’s safe to say that Candace’s joy comes from her faith in Christ and not from the Chewbacca mask. Candace’s video is a gift and is yet another reminder that God uses ordinary weaklings to accomplish His purposes. This past week God showed us that He can even reveal His glory through a mom and a plastic mask if He wants to.

Image from Candace Payne’s Facebook Page.