Becoming Viral

About two weeks ago, my life radically changed. I woke up to one of my YouTube videos in the process of going viral. It was something I never thought would happen, and when it did, I began to learn a lot! Over the next few weeks, I plan to discuss some of those bits of wisdom I gained from my little bit of fame. Today, I just want to unpack how the entire week went down for me and my wife.

On a recent flight, I had an experience that I knew would be a funny story to tell. In order to illustrate this story, I pulled out my phone to film what happened, so  I could share it with my friends and family. After posting it and sharing it, I thought that was over. It gained a bit of traction among my family and friends viewing it, but that was it for about a week. Then, one morning I awoke to see it had really began to increase in views. Before I knew it, my inbox was filling up, the video was being shown on the Today Show, Good Morning America, and Fox & Friends. Then, I got calls from NBC Universal and ABC and other networks/shows.  I was interviewed for ABC World News and did a live interview for Fox & Friends. I was also featured in interviews on a couple local TV and radio stations. On top of that, both national and international blogs and news sites began contacting me. It did not take long before I felt overwhelmed. One day, I did not eat anything until 8:30 PM, because I was so busy keeping up.

In a couple interviews, I told the reporters that I do not wish fame upon anyone. A couple of my students have asked why I would say such a thing. So, here is my answer. Fame is not always what you think it is. Sure, it looks glamorous from the outside, but on the inside, it is messy. All the sudden, every eye is looking at you. They judge everything you say and do. You are wanted for interview after interview. Your adrenaline is pumping almost every second of the day. You hardly get any sleep, and you are filled with anxiety most of the time. This is often the life of someone who becomes famous. Sure, this might not be as intense after you get used to it, but this is still something that most people do not realize when they say, “I want to be famous.” They think about all the attention, but they do not realize what comes along with that attention.

Above everything, my prayer is that all this will be used for God’s Kingdom. I do not like being in the spotlight. Instead, I want the spotlight on the One who truly deserves it – God. He is the one to praise and adore; not me. So, while I attempt to figure out what God wants to do through me since viral video has happened, I urge you to pray for me as well. Pray that God will continue to use me to point people to Him. Pray that He uses this crazy video as something that will bring glory to Him. Pray that He uses this attention and “fame” as something to bring honor and attention His way. I’m just a nobody that posted a stupid video. God is the One who truly needs to go viral!