1%

"A rotten apple if you throw it away you'll have nothing. But if you cut away the bad part, it is still good."

That was one of the object lessons taught in the movie 'I Not Stupid 2'. A singaporean production in mostly mandarin, the movie seeks to teach its society some lessons in life that will move anyone to tears. I never thought that the movie was the least good when I first heard bout it. But after watching it I realised I should not have judge a book by it's cover. The movie hit on many issues close to home. At the end of the movie, the narrator concluded, and I summarize:

When we were young, our parents praised an encourage us, pick us up when we fall. Somewhere along life, it turned to scoldings and insults. When did the praises stop? And slowly we begin to shut ourselves out. We need to find that key that brings out the best in people and focus on it. Give people a second chance and believe in them. Why can't we learn to praise each other and encourage each other onwards? Everyone needs to be praised.

In the same retrospect, I have learnt as a youth leader to be generous with praises. People thrive with support and love. There's always something good about a person that we can focus on. And if we find that one thing and give it our 100% we will be amazed at the results. One of the teachers in the Singaporean movie talked about finding the key to a person. Focus on the strengths not the weaknesses. In our culture, it seems, only one thing is considered good. Studies and the cliche careers that follow. But people are not produced in a factory. God made us all different. We need to find that thing we are good at. And then believe that about others.

In another movie - Korean drama series actually - called '1 percent of anything', we find that although sometimes things seems almost impossible, we should not throw it away so soon. Although it was more of a romantic series of impossible love come true after many obstacles, I still learnt that sometimes that 1% is enough to put our hope in. As the drama spins the tale of impossible love and how through trying times people persevere and makes it in the end, I wonder how true it is of Christians in life. Whether our in our own faith or towards the people around us. So easily we give up and loose faith. It takes some faith. If only we learn to bring out the best in each other. This Korean drama begun with the girl saying there'd only be one percent chance that the guy could change for the good. Fortunately she was willing to believe and miracles happened. Isn't that we need? Someone to believe in us. Someone who loves us. Someone who sees worth in us. Shouldn't that then be what we should do to others as well?

Life offers many lessons. Let's learn them and become better - in our own life and in our relationship with others.