You are made for greatness.

You are made for greatness, 2026. Hand-painted acrylic latex on concrete, 60’L x 90’H Location: The Vault Warehouse, Long Beach, CA
Created on the afternoon of the first day of the new year while sheltered from the winter rains

For the ones who need the reminder

Inspirations come to me in slow drips and sudden flashes whenever they please. Sometimes, the spark can be so commanding that I am compelled to act immediately. Almost always with looming deadlines afoot, this can feel like a productive form of procrastination, but I have found that when I choose to act upon the heart’s nudging, time gives way. (I am not sure how, but it does. And with every experience, I believe more and more that my task is to simply be obedient rather than to sort out the logic of how time is orchestrated (as if I could fully comprehend it, anyhow).

In this cavernous space, the text reads:

Hello,
Beautiful.

arise.
shine.

You are made
for
greatness.

It serves as an encouragement for the ones who have forgotten their invaluable place in the world as we trudge through the fears, stresses, worries, and obligations that constitute the realities of life. The message greets passengers with neighborly love before charging them with the task to shine their light, while reminding them of the truth in whom they are made to be, every one as bearers of God’s own image. We are made for greatness. Know this to be true.

With a single fluorescent light behind me, my eyes strained to make measurements. It was a blinding kind of not-quite-dark. My eyes ached from the light yellow paint that was not-quite-bright. It was a strange experience, very unlike painting the mural after the sun has set; at least the dimming natural light provides a warm glow. The lighting in this austere, unoccupied space was reminiscent of a lukewarm fervor. Or the instances where we stand idle, having not yet made a decision, paralyzed by the decision itself. What spaces are more in need of light then these ones that are grey, cold, and isolated, having not realized their potential? We are called to be light in these places, which are also commonly the environments where we least desire to be. The calling is not always what we want, but rather where we are needed. And what a privilege it is to be needed. No matter how big or small the task, we are needed here. And these small tasks are all but minor. Day after day, we watch the hairline sliver of morning light grow steadily into a brilliant broad band that reaches across our home to bathe our feet as our house plants eagerly turn toward this light.

We may be called to serve in undesirable places, but in our willingness, we are sure to discover unexpected joy. This is promised to us.