What Is Beauty?

I am a girl who loves feeling pretty. I adore dressing up in nice clothes, curling my hair, and feeling like I at least tried to accomplish looking neat and feminine.
 I struggle with my looks a lot of the time, feeling homely and insecure, especially now that I have glasses. If anything makes you feel unfeminine, glasses would be my number one.
 But I know that it isn't our outward beauty that matters, but a much deeper beauty, one that a lot of people in the world can't understand. 

Let's say there are two girls sitting side by side.
Both are dressed in nice, pretty clothes, and have their hair dressed in a feminine style.
 One is sitting with her hands clasped in front of her, avoiding eye contact with the passing people and sometimes flipping open her phone when she finished complaining to her friend.
She is a very pretty girl, with rosy cheeks and perfect skin, and not a hair out of place.
 The other is listening respectfully and quietly as she sits with an air of serenity and pure contentment. Her nose seems a little large for her face, and she had a small splash of acne on her cheeks.
  An elderly woman stops beside them, addressing both, asking for directions for a certain destination.
 The girl with the phone rolls her eyes and pretends she hasn't heard, bending farther over her phone.
The other sets her book down with a smile, happily giving the woman directions and wishing her a good day.
 The elderly woman leaves thinking the young girl the most loveliest thing in the world, while she thinks of the other girl with a disbelieving shake of her head.
And now, the same girls went to a party at a friend's house.
 One comes in with a sweet smile, the room instantly filling with a gay air as she enters.
She greets her young friends, sweetly and politely addresses the parents there, and all the children instantly run to the young woman, their arms outstretched.
And then the other girl enters the room.
 She has disposed of her phone for now, yet it hasn't seemed to make any difference.
She snubs the adults, sits down beside her friends ready to let loose her latest complaint, all done with a sneering, haughty look on her physically pretty face.
 She suddenly doesn't look so pretty anymore. She is vain, deceitful, uncaring, selfish, and unhappy.
Which one do you want to be?

One girl was sweet, happy, loving, understanding, and respectful.
The other had an air of annoyance and arrogance.
 Even though the sweet one didn't have the porcelain beauty of her friend, she truly looked prettier, the smile on her face lighting up her gentle eyes.
Beauty isn't what the media says it is.
 It isn't large eyes with dark eyelashes, and powdered eyelids.
It isn't rosy red lips, and even white teeth.
It isn't long glossy hair and the ability to toss your head like a movie star.
 No, it isn't even a dainty nose that makes one beautiful.
 It's the beauty of Christ, shining from inside us, that is truly important.
Love, joy, peace, kindness, gentleness, these are all true beauty, the beauty that is from God.
 Walking in a happy, yet humble way, spreading Christ's love in word and action.
Christ thinks we are all beautiful, no matter our age, race, or physical appearance.
 I must confess, that I should practice what I preach, considering how many times I have complained to others how ugly I am.
 I guess it is something all girls struggle with.
Yet, believe it or not, I am more insecure about my character and inward appearance than I am about what I look like.
 I am striving to be a virtuous young woman, and it can be hard struggle for all of us.
 Praying for all young woman like me, who long for different kind of beauty, something so much more.
 God bless!
                                                    LaKaysha E