Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” – Psalm 126:2

In case you haven’t been paying attention to Facebook in recent days, last week a phenomenon now affectionately known as “Chewbacca Mom Video” briefly blew up the internet. If you’re one of the five people that haven’t seen this video yet, do yourself a favor and take a few minutes to watch:

I had seen this video pop up in my Facebook feed several times last week and after I noticed more than half a dozen friends had shared it, I was compelled to watch. I happened to be in the car with my kids waiting for my husband to run an errand. When my husband got to the car he found us all laughing, literally LOL. Even my cynical attorney husband got a chuckle out of it.

It’s three minutes and forty two seconds of pure, infectious joy. Lately it seems like social media just magnifies the rancor and unrest in our world.

Some days every other post is a political rant or a cautionary article about some nefarious lurking conspiracy.

Candace Payne, a Texas mom, reminded us all last week to seek out and experience the potential joy in every moment of life. There’s fun and adventure to be had everywhere! I dare you to watch this video and not feel just a little happier.

What’s even more encouraging than the video itself is that it’s been viewed over 142 million times. It now holds the record for most views of a live stream video on Facebook. Since the video was posted last week, Candace has been on a whirlwind tour of talk shows and even a visit to Facebook headquarters.

It’s mystifying that a video that’s really just a woman laughing hysterically could have such a widespread effect. I think it’s because moments of pure joy are all too rare in our world. Watching Candace’s simple joy was contagious. She’s made the world a happier place this week simply by being herself.

Candace is a worship leader at her church and I can just imagine the joy that pours out of her as she leads her congregation in worship each week.

She’s been a great reminder to me, a fellow worship leader, that the joy of the Lord is our strength.

Thank you, Candace, for giving us a few minutes of joy in our lives! You’ve inspired me to pay it forward!