Wednesday, August 22

Paparazzi

Posted by Andrea
Read Ephesians 5:1-21


I don’t always take parenting advice from celebrities. Generally their opinion and mine are just a little different. But just this once, I thought some was worth passing along. Don’t worry. I won’t make it a habit.


This morning I channel surfed through a bunch of garbage (I’m sick and my husband is running the house today. This doesn’t happen often) and paused on Jamie Lee Curtis talking to a bunch of women on a talk show. I stopped long enough to hear her say, “Children are like paparazzi. They take your picture when you’re not looking and they show it to you later in their behavior.”




My experience with paparazzi is of an indirect nature. I’ve seen quite a bit of their work in the check out lane, but from what I understand, they can be somewhat annoying in real life. Meanwhile, I have certainly found Ms. Curtis’ statement true with my own dearly loved children. Imitation, they say, is the sincerest form of flattery. I suppose that all depends on what our children are imitating.


It happens to all of us eventually. One minute we make a careless statement, and the next minute/day/week the identical phrase comes out of our child’s mouth sounding more horrifying than careless. For a moment, we wonder where he got that from and then we remember where he got that from.



We have a lot of wonderful role models to imitate as Christians. We can aspire to be like anyone from our parents to Billy Graham, but to imitate them would be to imitate a copy. Max Lucado wrote a story called “Song of the King.” In it, three brave knights have to journey through a dark and dangerous forest. Their only guide is the king’s flute which he plays once in the morning and once in the evening. If they follow the music, they will be able to find their way through the forest. The forest is full of creatures who imitate the song in an effort to lead the knights astray. Only one other person knows the song and has his own flute to play it on—the king’s son. Each knight is allowed one companion for the journey.


The knights begin their quest and the entire kingdom awaits their return. At last, one knight emerges the forest with his companion. The others are never seen again. The knight who completed the quest successfully had chosen the king’s son as his companion and had never once been fooled by the mimics in the forest.


We have the opportunity to take the original on our journey as well. We have heard the phrase “what would Jesus do” so often it’s lost almost all of its meaning. We do need to consider it though. We need to imitate the Son and turn ourselves into role models worth imitating. Then our children won’t have such a long way to reach when it comes to imitating God and not their parents.


The paparazzi are watching.


Oh be careful little eyes what you see…

Be careful little feet where you go

For it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow.

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