(November 9, 2005)
You are not reading a blog.
You are watching a very short movie. ..
This is a story about a girl whom you know—the girl named Alysia. Let us begin the “movie” shall we?
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Cheerful music starts to play. The theater lights start to dim.
The title appears on the screen: “A true story.”
The opening scene fades in…
You see shelves and shelves of TV monitors, radios…then rice cooker and tupperwares…then cereal goods, cookies, and milk cartoons. Attendants stand at the side greeting customers. Some are busy arranging the products on display. The products are as varied from electronic products to shampoos to noodles and junk food.
It is the Trustmart Supermarket, China.
A cheery music plays over the speakers.
Two ladies in office clothes rush towards a lone shopper as fast as their high-heeled shoes allowed them.
“Miss, excuse me, excuse me!” they say to the lady shopper wearing dark jeans and black off-shoulder blouse. She turns to them with a small smile and a questioning look.
The lady in the pink dress starts talking in rapid Mandarin (English subtitles are provided).
Subtitle: “Excuse me, would you like to model my products?”
The lone shopper is Alysia. She almost chokes with surprise, her eyes widening, her face turning red. She couldn’t say anything. She could only stare dumbfounded. Inside, her thoughts are in a jumble. ‘Me? Model???’ Her thoughts flash back to her insecure teenage-self looking at her reflection in dejection. “I feel like the Ugly Duckling…sigh...Will I ever be pretty enough to be ‘model’ quality?””
The petite lady in the gray suit whispers to her co-worker in Mandarin.
Subtitle: “I think she didn’t understand.”
Alysia breaks out of her reverie. She quickly shakes her mind and responds in broken Chinese, “No, I heard what you said. You just took me by surprise. I’ve never been asked to model before. What’s your product?”
The lady fishes out from her bag a business card and hands it excitedly to her. The card reveals “Mary Kay” beauty product. It turned out she wanted to demonstrate her products in the hopes of selling them to Alysia.
There’s a mixed look in Alysia’s eyes. She tries to reply calmly. “What do you want me to do?”
The scene ends with the three ladies talking. The cameras zoom out, and the supermarket music continues to play unendingly.
The scene fades to white...
But wait, don’t go yet. The movie hasn’t ended yet.
Alysia’s voice over narrates:
When I heard the word “Model”, images of photo shoots and sudden fame went through my mind. I swear just a second had passed but so many thoughts flashed one after another. But while I was thinking of glamorous photo shoots, the reality was far from it. It turned out that they simply wanted me to be there for a special make-up session so that they could sell their products to me.
All thoughts of fame vanished. All I could think of was, “Oh...”
The two ladies were grinning at me excitedly. The taller, chubbier lady in the pink dress gave me a look of amazement. “It’s just that you have a fresh kind of beauty that grabs attention,” she responded to the question in my eyes.
Feeling flattered (even if they just said it to make a sale), yet also disappointed that the possibility of being “famous” was far from happening, I felt my excitement deflate like a balloon. I politely told the Chinese ladies that I couldn’t do the session. Still, it took me awhile to get over what happened.
After grocery shopping, while I stood in line at the bus station, I couldn’t help sneaking peeks at my reflection at the display window behind me. ‘Am I really pretty? Or did they only say it to make a sale?’
My bus came, and I sat in relief on an empty seat. I was still shaking inside. ‘Lord, I don’t know how to react…’
Then, amidst the noise of the bus engine and the passengers, I heard His voice telling me to remember the words I had read from my old journal this morning.
(June 29, 2002)
The CREATOR:
“Beauty is a gift that I give.
It’s not something people have earned or did to deserve.
But the personality…
Now that’s something to look at.
Beauty is given, but personality is developed.
Don’t look at what has been given to others, but at what they have chosen to become.
Beauty can be taken away, but a personality lasts forever.
Conversely, why do you boast when someone calls you beautiful? Why take credit for something you did not do?”
CLOSING SCENE:
Alysia opens the door of her apartment, bringing bags of groceries and drops them on a white sofa and tries to walk calmly to the bathroom.
She looks expectantly at the bathroom mirror, a hopeful smile on her face.
As she looks at her reflection, her smile changes into a frown.
I’m still me. Nothing has changed.
Soft music plays.
She leaves the bathroom and goes to the living room where sunlight from the outside streams in through the window. She takes out her journal and, with a pen, she pours out her thoughts.
I realize...whatever people say about me… I’m still me.
Still imperfect.
Still prone to failures and problems.
Still vulnerable to insecurities.
Just as human as anyone else.
I realize…
What really matters is how I live out my life.
Because I have been a model all along: I have been a model of my values.
How I live my life reflects what I promote.
I am a model of the Father.
The question is…
Am I doing a good job?
She looks up from her writing. She puts down her pen. Her thoughts are still jumbled.
She prays, “Lord? How should I have responded this afternoon?”
Glorify Me.
“How?”
If people find you beautiful, then use that opportunity to tell them about the One who created beauty.
Alysia smiles at no one in particular. Finally, she looks back down at her journal and pens in the ending of today’s journal entry.
Jesus, help me follow You.
Because You are my greatest Model.
The music rises as the scene fades.
***THE END***