Aftermath vs Afterglow

I’m somewhere between aftermath and afterglow. The past few weeks have been crazy. Too little sleep. Too little community. Too much computer. There have been good things to come out of that… namely launching HRTWRK. And there have also been some things that aren’t exactly what I would call “good.” More like achingly good. Realizations about my massive shortcomings in the area of follow through and integrity (didn’t I just talk about this?) Granted, no one likes to hear that they’re dropping the ball. No one wants to hear they’re not perfect. We know we aren’t, but that doesn’t mean we necessarily want someone tell you “ok… this is what I see… what are you going to do about it?”

But it’s so GOOD to hear that from people who love you. And so needed. Not in the name of self-help or even self-improvement. But moreso in the name of wanting to hold Christ up to the people in my life and show them that He is infinitely valuable… that His presence in my life changes me and makes me more than I could possibly be on my own. I don’t want that self-congratulatory kind of morality. “Look at me and how holy I can be.” That’s disgusting. But I do want to be trustworthy. And I want the opportunity to make great art and design that can start a conversation with people who haven’t met Christ. With people who have so much baggage attached to the idea of God that they push all of it as far away as possible. Art and design that can do that, not because it’s literal and explicitly “christian” (honestly, I don’t know what that looks like or how to do it… i’m no PainterOfLight™) but good work gives you a voice into the lives of people who might otherwise not be interested in what you have to say. It’s not a voice to shout at them, but just a simple way to get your foot in the door, engage them emotionally, and then serve and love them. That’s a GIFT.

I don’t need a secretary. I need to get my act together. And I think HRTWRK proved that I can execute when I have the right mix of work and keeping my word. Even if it’s a simple thing like “I’m launching this little site on V Day.”