For me I will never look at lipstick and trash the same.
Recently, my sister found this cute little vanity play set at a yard sale for Octavia. Of course Nana Tre Tre just had to fill it with some vanity items to make it more fun. Amazon prime days to the rescue! Two days later I was filling up her little vanity drawer with fake eyeshadows, blush, mascara, make up brushes and of course lipstick. After Octavia checked each item out, I could see that the lipstick was favored by her more than all the other items in the set. Whenever she came over she would rummage through all the makeup and pull out the lipstick. She would then proceed to apply lipstick to herself, to her mom before mom left, on papa when papa came home and even on the dogs. The whole lot of make up brought her happiness but there was just something about the lipstick that resonated with her and made her happy even if it was the act of just pulling the top off and putting it back on.... top off, top on, top off.....
Let's fast forward to a recent Saturday when Papa Dennis was in charge 0f watching both X and O (Xander and Octavia) for an hour or two by himself until I got home. He did a great job of holding down the fort. Me being me, needing (wanting) a little organization, (I own it), when I got home I picked up some of the toys lying around on the floor. I noticed as I put Octavia's make up away that her lipstick was missing. I found the top but the lipstick part was nowhere to be found. I mentioned it to Dennis and his reaction was similar to mine with an, "Oh no!" She loves that lipstick! She was putting it on me over and over again!" We didn't fret much because we knew it had to be in the house somewhere.We went on with our day with the kids (it was a sleep over night) and in between us taking turns keeping an eye on them both while the other one did a task of some sort, we were both constantly on the hunt of finding this dang lipstick. I looked in the toy bins, I looked under couches, I looked under pillows, I looked in cupboards, I looked in the dog cage. Nothing. At one point Dennis saw me looking and told me he had already looked in all those places too! He even searched the trash because Octavia has been known to throw many things into the trash lately.
The day turned into nighttime and we hadn't found the lipstick. It didn't phase Octavia (that we know of) but nana and papa knew how much joy it brought her and were determined to either find it or buy her a new one but we would wait until the next day after the kids went home so we could do a thorough search while cleaning.
The next day after we got home with X and O from church, they ate and played a little and baby O went down for a nap. THIS was my opportunity to FIND THAT LIPSTICK! I searched AGAIN in all the same spots we previous looked and in addition I even pulled off all the couch cushions this time but still no success of finding lipstick. So I decided I was going to delve into the trash that papa said he already looked in. Plastic gloves on and digging I went!
As I was digging through coffee grounds and slimy egg shells and other gross stuff I didn't even know we had thrown away, I just started praying. I prayed things like, "Lord, I know this is just pretend lipstick and it's really not all that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things, but it brought Octavia so much joy!" I also prayed something like, "Please, if it's in here, let me find it before we throw this bag to the curb." But then all of a sudden I had my A-HA moment.....
"Oh my gosh! This is what God does for me on the daily!!!!" He is always working behind the scenes on my behalf!!
Here I am working behind the scenes, digging through trash for my granddaughter for something that brings her joy and it's because of the love I have for her. And I realized, my love for my kids and grandkids is just a smidgen of how much love God has for me!
My a-ha moment had me digging more fervently. And then I started THANKING God for all the times He has worked and is working behind the scenes on MY behalf.
Octavia had no clue that nana and papa were so desperately looking for that little tube of red lipstick. And you may not know it, or may have forgotten, or even have taken it for granted, but I am here to remind you, God is working behind the scenes on your behalf too always.
Shortly after my a-ha moment, Chris came to pick up X and O and I continued to put toys away and decided to look in the toy bins one more time and what was sitting right on top of other toys in one of the bins? Yep. A bright red tube of fake lipstick! Earlier I mentioned we didn't know if Octavia was even phased by the missing lipstick. She's not even 18 months old so her jibber jabber is only understood by her but the moment I said, "Octavia! Look what nana found!" She immediately grabbed it and held onto it for dear life! (Which by the way was a rookie mistake on my part as she did NOT want that lipstick leaving her hands. While strapped in her car seat to go home I had to trade the lipstick for a sucker which satisfied her for the moment.)
Never underestimate HOW God works, WHEN He works and WHAT He works with. We can learn lessons daily with the most odd and random items or events in our lives. We just have to slow down, pray, listen and then thank God for all the work He does whether we see it or not.
Just like Dennis and I witnessed the joy a little tube of red lipstick brought to Octavia, God sees what brings you joy. Dennis and I were willing to go above and beyond for Octavia and have and would do the same for our kids and Xander.Remember. God knows what brings you joy!
So the next time you see YOUR "tube of lipstick", I hope, like me, you will be reminded of God's love for you and realize He has been and is doing some mighty digging (work) behind the scenes on your behalf.
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