"He's the man of my dreams," Janie had gushed in the advert. "We're getting married soon. And you know what, I'm 42 and he thinks I'm 32. I haven't told him yet," she added coyly, "but I owe it all to Never-Age." Told him what, Esme wondered, about the cream or her age.

Again she loked at her reflection, and eagerly began dabbing and massaging the cream into her worried-looking face. "Hmm a bit of grey there," she muttered to herself as she played with the locks of long hair. "Have to order that new dye that was on the TV yesterday."

She was worried because the electricity bill was due and she couldn't pay it. What was left over from the last welfare check had gone on that special offer on lipstick she couldn't ignore. Yes, it was all or nothing now.

It had to end. This nothingness life of continual struggle. Living week to week, if it could be called living. She was 36, and her dream was being squeezed by the relentless ticking of the clock.

On the borrowed video player she put on "Roman Holiday" at least four times a week. Audrey Hepburn. Now there was beauty. That elfin face, so full of innocence, and those huge round eyes that asked so many questions without utterance. The smile that illuminated her face like the rising sun lights the landscape. That had been long ago, Esme mused, but beauty had brought fame and fortune to Audrey, she thought. Not forgetting the acting talent. Yet it was her looks. That was it. Surely that was the key. She wondered about the brand of cosmetics Audrey had used.

Now she was dabbing rouge on her cheeks to try and bring in a little colour. The box was almost empty and she couldn't afford another right now. She slammed it onto the tiny dresser and picked up the eyelash stick. Carefully she moved the pencil in a half moon over the eyebrows as precisely as an artist applying paintbrush to canvas. She moved closer to the mirror and frowned. It wasn't happening somehow. Her face looked artificial, contrived.

A gentle knocking interrupted her reverie. Esme lodged the eye pencil above her ear, weaved her way between the magazines on the floor of the living room and put her eye to the peep-hole in the door. It was a woman. She put on the safety chain of the heavy door and opened it.

"Hi I'm Dawn. I'm your new neighbour. Just moved in to number 9, so I thought I'd say hello." Esme nodded, took off the safety chain and opened the door wider. "Come in."

She was incredibly beautiful, about Esme's age, yet Esme could see she wore no make up. Long black hair shimmered down her shoulders like a waterfall. Her skin was clear and tanned, it was apparent she didn't sit in an office every day. She seemed to glide like a model as she moved into the room, body trim, lithe, supple.

She stared at Esme with large, round eyes, green and expressive. "Hope I haven't disturbed you. I just thought it would be nice to meet you. I saw you coming in yesterday."

"Great. Thanks." She gestured Dawn to sit down. "I'm Esme. What do you do?"

"I'm at Bible College. I love surfing too, manage to get in an hour or so a day usually. Gets me away on my own for a while, so Sam can't hassle me. He's my boyfriend but we'll have to split. Wants to marry me but he's not really a believer. What about you?"

"Oh, I'm sort of in between guys," Esme said sheepishly.

Dawn looked at the scattered magazines on the floor. "Wow, these must cost you a fortune," Dawn said, shuffling one or two. "Hmmm. I used to buy them for the beauty ads. Used to order heaps too. Then I found Jesus and I didn't need them."

"How'd you mean?" said Esme.

"Well, I began to change my thoughts. I used to be bitter, and used to hate Greg. We'd lived together for a year. Then I got pregnant and he took off. Just like that. I had the baby adopted. Then one day a friend invited me to her church. When they made the invitation to receive Jesus I went forward. Just went on from there. Suddenly I didn't hate that guy any more. Now I'm at the College learning to be a missionary. Fancy, little old me. A missionary.

"But what's that got to do with cosmetics?"

"I just don't need them. I gave all the hatred and bitterness to God. Then gradually my looks began to change. Before that I had spots as well. Used to put on special powder to hide them. Then the lines on my face disappeared. The spots too. I used to worry a lot about finances but now I just hand it over to the Lord. Philippians 4:19 you see. I always seem to get by somehow. I've got an unseen helper."

"Really?" Esme interjected.

"Look why don't you come with me to the church at the weekend? Think about it. I can take you in the car. You'll like it. Gotta go." Smiling, she sashayed out of the door.

Two days later Esme sipped her coffee, brooding over the encounter. "She's certainly got something," she muttered to herself, "and whatever it is, I want it." She finished the coffee, brushed her hair and sauntered down the hallway until she came to number 9. She smiled as she saw the sticker on the door "Jesus Loves You." She knocked gently.

The response was immediate, as though someone on the inside of the door was just waiting for the rat-tat-tat.

"Hi, Lovely to see you," said Dawn with a beaming smile that said she meant it.

"Hi. Look I'm in a hurry but I'd like to come with you to the church on Sunday."

"Sure. We'll go in my car. I'll give you a knock at 9.30."

Sunday morning was cloudless, and promised another bright, hot day. Her new friend's knock on the door was punctual, and the church was almost full when they arrived. There was a hum and a buzz about the place that she had never experienced before. Music started. Up-tempo, keyboard pounding, drumsticks flailing, electric guitar twanging. There were six gyrating back-up singers and an energetic young man was leading upfront. People were clapping and jumping as if at a rock concert. None of it fitted the mental picture she'd had. Was this really a church, she thought.

When it was time, the young pastor gave the message in a concise, direct way. His title was "Beauty is from Within." Esme was self-conscious. They all seemed to have Bibles and she hadn't. She squirmed a couple of times as she listened. Can this really be true, she thought. Then she glanced sideways at Dawn and realised it was.

As the pastor concluded, he seemed to be looking at and speaking directly to her. "Now you can start that inner beauty treatment this morning, "he said. "Come to the front today and meet Jesus. He's waiting. You'll never regret it. Come to him today. Come," he said insistently.