“112 Lipsticks….”

Very soon I will leave for Uganda.

I just returned from St. Augustine Beach, and on the way home, my husband and I stopped in Jacksonville to visit with Meagan, a former GO Team member. I love Meagan. My heart SO connected with hers during the weeks we spent together. She just got married! It was great to see her. I believe that when people have a spiritual connection in Christ….then they are always connected.

As we sat at breakfast, she asked me if I was ready to, “Go”.

“Yes,” I replied. “I just need to buy about 100 lipsticks for the women of Gulu.”

“Then you need to come by the house. Someone has given me a box full of lipsticks that cannot be sold in the stores. They are perfect for those women!” Meagan said.

I went by her home and got the box of unused lipsticks and began to open them. The colors were perfect for African skin. I was amazed at how I had a plan to purchase $1.00 lipsticks and the Lord poured out a huge blessing with much more expensive lipsticks!

I put the box in my lap and began to count the lipsticks on the way home…

“112 lipsticks!” I exclaimed to John. “Isn’t that just like the Lord to say, ‘Shannon you have a way for getting the lipsticks for the women, but I have a more excellent way!'”

I couldn’t believe it! Who in the world has 112 lipsticks sitting in a box in their garage? Those that God has a divine appointment with.

Every time I think of a battle I face now, I hear the Lord say, “Don’t you know that if I can give you 112 lipsticks then I can take care of anything? I AM the God of details!”

I am like a child. I still giggle over this and have the biggest smile on my face because of this blessing!

This has ushered a new phrase into our home when asking each other, “how will God do this?”

“112 lipsticks!!”

Just a side note…when I was in Mbarara last year and did hair and makeup for these women…it was amazing to see the transformation on their faces of hopelessness and rejection and being deemed “untouchable” to a smile! As I worked on them, I told them they were BEAUTIFUL! And I told them that no matter what I did to make them beautiful, true beauty comes from the heart. They began to smile.

“3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. 4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 5 For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves.” 1 Peter 3

Pray for me as I share this message again and touch the women of Gulu. My desire is that they will smile as big as I am from knowing that He looks upon them as BEAUTIFUL!