October 07, 2003
HM Is Like A Baby
I've often said, "HM Magazine is my baby." This is not too much of a stretch to make, since the magazine was birthed 18.5 years ago in my small room in the house I shared with my college friends back in '85.
It's really God's baby, and that's where I have to leave it and treat it. While God has certainly entrusted me with it and I can call it my own, everything I have is from Him and that perspective is what will help to alleviate worries and stress when problems arise.
The next issue, which is at the printer right now, features a cover story called "The Ugly Truth Behind Christian Rock," and it may just be a coincidence, but we've faced a lot of adversity and challenges with the production of this particular issue. A lot. Anyway, the latest is this:
The buyer for a large Christian bookstore chain has told our distributor that, "If you ship this cover to us, it'll be the last one you ship." I'm not sure why this person communicated to our distributor in such an extreme, mean and rude manner (maybe he was sick that day...maybe one of his kids got sick...maybe he's dealing with something so overwhelming right now that he's lashing out in anger over minor things). I don't know. But I'm praying for this guy. He was sent a jpg preview of the cover graphics for the Nov/Dec issue. That is what he responded to. His chain has ordered 459 copies of this issue, which they are at present refusing to carry. I hope I can change his mind.
I have poured my heart out in the 7-page, 5,500+ word story, drawing on my experiences from the past 18 years publishing this magazine. The article is, I believe, a balanced, biblical, and truthful look at the Christian rock scene and many of its inadequacies. I think this will actually be the best-selling and most talked-about issue in the history of HM Magazine. Maybe not, but it certainly has the potential to be so with a provocative cover story titled "The Ugly Truth Behind Christian Rock." This will probably be an issue that this particular Christian bookstore chain would enjoy carrying on their magazine racks and store shelves.
So, when someone makes a rash judgment like this about the cover of the Nov/Dec issue of HM Magazine, it's like someone is saying to me, "Your child is not good enough. I reject it." I kinda take it personal. The personal expression, though, I hope to come out in serious prayer. I would think that God would be most pleased if that's the position I took. I'll do my best to convince this person that his chain should carry this issue, but hopefully I'll expend more energy praying about this situation than trying to argue my point.
Could you, perhaps, pray with me? I'd like to ask that you pray that I would be able to change this person's mind; but I'd be just as happy if you prayed that God's will would be done here. This situation is small in the big scheme of things, and I know that God is in control.
I guess you could say, "I won't be taking this lying down," but hopefully I'll be taking it "on my knees."
