what does it mean to be beautiful?

what does it mean to be beautiful...? (and what I am learning from working for the poor for free…) I don't know exactly what it means but I think is has to do with grace, to have it, and to give it. There are few times in my life where I have acted beautifully. It struck me today as I looked at a patient and said, "Don't give up, we can handle this. I believe it will get better from here." He looked at me with tearful sincerity and said, "I hope so." For the first time in a while, I felt the tears too. I was leaving the room when I made the first statement, but after looking at his face, I paused. He wanted to believe me, and he could tell that I believed my own words. I should do that with all of my patients. Hope is the promise of grace. Extending hope that is believable is beautiful. That man was on a bridge ready to jump last week. He may be on the news this week, but for that moment, he wanted hope, and I stopped just barely in time to give it. 1. extending hope. 2. being vulnerable enough to be honest with the person before you. 3. hold someone's hand that needs it. 4. dry the tears of a child. 5. pray with an earnest heart 6. have a desire to see other's succeed, regardless of what they have done to you. 7. smile often and earnestly. I saw a homeless man today, who was so dirty and smelled terrible. He smiled a toothless grin and had simplicity that would be easy to attack. He was uneducated, illiterate, and in many ways a burden on society. Still, the simplicity got me. That simple trust without skepticism. Odd for me to say how refreshing that simplicity was for me, but it was. 8. don't guard yourself too much. 9. don't hide tears just so people can't tell you are moved by something. 10. give more than you receive 11. hospitality 12. availability 13. mercy 14. being filthy dirty because you worked so hard to help someone else become clean 15. stand between the weak and the danger that waits for them What beautiful is not… physical appearance 2. sarcasm 3. pride 4. selfishness. 5. anger 6. too busy 7. cranky 9. rude 10. planning your week around Friday and Saturday night. 11. resentment. 12. bitterness 13. revenge. The reason a truly beautiful girl is so hard to find these days is because we (most girls) have stopped trying. Sure we can dress up, put on the makeup, accessorize appropriately, go to the right places, and make phone calls or send texts that are entertaining at best, but hardly reflect what we really should say (or not say). Guys don't know what beautiful girls are anymore because a lot of us have stopped showing it. Whatever happened to knowing 5 facts about someone before you kiss them or at least their middle name, or opening doors, or flowers, or scheduled dates, or respect in general? This would be easy to blame on the boys, I know, but I don't think it's their fault. It's us. I know I have learned to play these silly games and I admit I don't regret all of them. But what have I traded? The beautiful girl for the fun girl? The honest girl for the girl with a brick wall hedged around her heart? Have I traded me for someone I don't really want to be? Any girl who has complaints about the way some guy treats her should ask herself what she expected him to do with the way she treated him, or more importantly, the way she presented herself. If anyone ever tells me they think I am beautiful again, it better be someone who knows what they are talking about. And the next person that kisses me better know my middle name… and my favorite flavor ice cream…