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As a girl growing up, I had an older sister and two younger sisters who I thought were much prettier than I. I never appreciated my appearance, and I felt ugly and alone. When I was complimented on my appearance, as I often was, I thought the compliment was given out of pity.

My actions and reactions often revealed my lack of appreciation and self-confidence, causing my peers to either turn away or poke fun at me.

The Lord dealt with me through an unusual but humiliating affliction to reveal my wrong attitude and taught me to accept and appreciate the beauty he had given me.

One morning I awoke feeling rather strange and noticeably weak, but having full responsibility of my two small children, I forced myself to get them to their babysitter and went on to my job.

I was not there long until I realized I was having some very unusual problems. I noticed I was unable to bring my bottom lip under my top teeth, and I had lost the strength in my lower jaw. I felt my mouth drawing toward the right. When I smiled it seemed that only the right side would go up.

I finally decided to leave my post and go to the lady’s room to view the situation in the mirror. I was horrified and shocked beyond words at my own reflection. My face was slightly crooked, and the left side of my face was losing its flexibility while my right side was working overtime.

I went to my supervisor to ask if I could go home. He took one look at me and advised me to seek medical help immediately.

After leaving my job, I went to pick my children up at the babysitter’s. When I walked in the door, the babysitter’s reaction to me deepened my fears and I drove myself on to the local medical center. The doctor was uninformed on my particular symptoms and diagnosed my illness as a stroke.

I eventually transferred to another doctor that was familiar with my problem, and he calmly informed me that I had a severe case of Bell's Palsy with a fifty-percent chance of regaining control of my face muscles. As there was no known medicine that had any effect on it, my body would have to do its own healing. Time would reveal the extent of the palsy. I was twenty-five and very concerned about my looks.

I soon discovered the dreadful malady had not nearly finished its reshaping of my face. The next few days held some very unpleasant surprises. After the disease had taken its full toll, my mouth was no longer pointing from ear to ear. While the left side remained motionless, the right side of my mouth seemed to be reaching for my right eye, and my right eye was reaching for it. My nose no longer stood out past the rest of my face but pointed toward my right ear. My left eye remained open unless I closed it with my hand. I took one look at myself and felt I was unfit to be called a human being.

My children were very young and completely dependent upon me; therefore, I was forced to continue my duties as a mother. This was demanding but a blessing in disguise; it helped keep my mind off my problem, part of the time, at least.

In the next two months, I learned to have compassion for parents with small children. When I went shopping, the preschoolers looked at me as if I were a television monster. Parents would try their best to quiet their offspring while the children continued to ask their honest questions about my looks.

My own little ones loved me beyond my looks and were there for their daily half-kisses, since only half of my lips would pucker.

My family and friends were great supporters and continuously assured me that I did not look that bad unless I smiled, then invariably I would smile causing my mouth to make a beeline for my right eye. They stood by me in prayer and comforted me when I had doubts or fears.

After a couple of months had finally dragged by, I began to notice small signs of recovery. My eyelid had become strong enough to shut by its own strength. Shortly after that my lips began to recover. When my smile was restored, I again stood before my mirror; this time I was smiling at myself. I did this for several minutes. I didn't even care if my nose was still pointing toward my right eye. I had a beautiful smile, and I liked what I saw. I did not care what the rest of the world thought, I was beautiful, and for the first time in my life I appreciated the face Yahweh had given me.

I left that mirror with a whole new outlook on life; I smiled, and the world smiled back.

My nose took longer to heal than the rest of my face, but I didn't mind it being crooked for a while; I still had a pretty face and I could smile.

After my ordeal was over, I looked the same as before my affliction on the outside, but on the inside I was different. I learned that inside beauty has to be expressed before the outside beauty can be seen or felt. No matter how the outside looks if the inside is beautiful and is allowed to shine through the world will not notice the outside.

SMILE AND THE WORLD SMILES WITH YOU!!