Are You Ready For Your Close Up?

We’ve all heard the quote even if we don’t know it was from the movie Sunset Boulevard circa 1950.  “All right, Mr. De Mille, I'm ready for my close up.”  I’ve thought often about this famous line but not for its context in the movie.  Rarely, when a close up photograph is taken is the subject not ready.  There’s preparation, make-up, lighting, hours of planning to prepare for that perfect shot.  But all that shows is a magnified picture of what someone wants you to see.  What about when the lighting is bad, his hair isn’t combed or her make-up isn’t fixed?  That’s a close up.  When you get a genuine, telling look at who a person really is – when they don’t know you’re watching.

Or.  When someone gets a close up of you.  What do they see when you don’t know they’re watching?

Marriage is a mirror – a magnified, never cloudy, clear look at who you really are.  That person who shares your home, your bed and your secrets knows all of you.  Sometimes when you look at yourself through his/her eyes, what’s staring back isn’t pretty.  Is the imperfect person your spouse sees getting better?  Are you working on the areas where you fall short?  Are you maturing and growing?  Or are you just hoping no one takes a close up?  When he takes a close up and I’m not ready, am I proud of who he sees?

Parenting will push you to the limit of every boundary.  Those little people have the ability to make you happier and laugh harder than you ever have.  They can make you try things you wouldn’t have otherwise and feel freedom that’s often forgotten by adults.  They can also infuriate you, make you cry, doubt yourself and exhaust even the most energetic.  They never give you time to prepare for a close up.  When they look, are you who you want them to see?  When she looks close up, am I the person I want her to model her life after?

Christianity is not a box to mark on a form or simply the name of a religion.  It’s a belief in eternity – forever.  It’s not ambiguous.  It’s a yes or no question.  It’s a guideline for every conversation, action or look.  No matter where you are, who you’re with or what you’re doing.  If you say you believe it, do the people around you know that?  Do they know what you believe at all?  If someone took a close up of me when I wasn’t ready, would it look the way I hope?

And the list goes on.  Coworkers, those less fortunate than you, parents, siblings… 

Is your unintended close up the picture you want the world to see? 

Is mine?