{"id":1655,"date":"2016-12-06T13:04:37","date_gmt":"2016-12-06T17:04:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/oikonomia\/?p=1655"},"modified":"2016-12-06T13:07:14","modified_gmt":"2016-12-06T17:07:14","slug":"lessons-christian-vocation-chewbacca-mom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/oikonomia\/2016\/12\/lessons-christian-vocation-chewbacca-mom\/","title":{"rendered":"Lessons on Christian Vocation from \u2018Chewbacca Mom\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

By Joseph Sunde<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter how talented, how anointed, how gifted, how passionate, or how willing you are if you\u2019re not fit to do the things that God has called you to do.\u201d \u2013Candace Payne<\/em><\/p>\n

Candace Payne, now widely known as \u201cChewbacca Mom,\u201d became an internet sensation thanks\u00a0to a spontaneous video<\/a> in which she joyfully donned a toy mask of the beloved Wookiee<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Having now broken multiple records for online views, Candace is now appearing on\u00a0talk shows and at media venues\u00a0across the nation, spreading her contagious joy to everyone she encounters (including\u00a0Chewbacca himself<\/a>).<\/p>\n

For some, this newfound voice would be the beginning of what we commonly call influence <\/em>or platform <\/em>or brand<\/em>. But\u00a0for Candace, a 37-year-old stay-at-home mom and worship leader, her calling and influence\u00a0began long ago, starting\u00a0as a teenager, and proceeding with faithfulness to God in her daily life.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was 16, I had a vision and dream from the Lord about my future about being used for His glory,\u201d she said in an interview<\/a> at a Regional Fine Arts Festival<\/a>. \u201c\u2026That dream has never left my heart, nor my mind, nor the way that I walk and follow Jesus.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Her story begins around the 7-minute mark:<\/p>\n