AMAZING GRACE & MAPLE DONUT CUPCAKES?

Amazing grace. Just the words bring a smile to my heart. It was my dads favorite song because it was about him..a wretch that was saved..He was lost but now is found..was blind but now he sees. It was the last song we sang to him the night before he passed away. I remember the last conversation I had with him before he went into a coma. It was about my brother Tom. My dad never talked about regrets , except this one. He wished he had been the father he deserved. He loved Tom and was so proud of the man, the husband, the father, he had become, despite his absence. We all have some regrets, don’t we? Things we wished we had done better, said kinder, gave more generously, made different decisions, and the list could go on and on. Last nights sermon was about forgiveness. Our pastor shared that when we do not forgive those who have hurt us so deeply it’s like drinking poison and thinking the one who hurt us will die. But they don’t …we do..slowly. When I woke up this morning I wanted to make something I had never made, something that, if I were to give it to the person who I struggled to forgive, would bring me healing, comfort, and a warmth that would stay forever. Thus, maple pumpkin donut cupcakes for the fall season. Like all fall baking, it smelled of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and a little allspice. I couldn’t resist lighting my pumpkin spice scented candle during the baking either! It was topped with a maple glaze that oozed over the sides and holes. And of course the fall sprinkles over it. But, lets get real. No pumpkin donut is going to take away all the pain many of us have carried for such a long time. The question is “ how long do I want to keep drinking the poison?” The answer? Well, it’s a little more complicated than my blog can address. But, I will say that it starts with Jesus. If anyone knew what it meant to have emotional pain He didn’t deserve, to be accused of things He never did, to be persecuted when He could have said no..its Jesus. And He forgave us, loved us, though we didn’t deserve it. Maybe He does know a thing about hurts and how to heal? Start with Him. And let him show you the path to real healing, real JOY. For now, I am grateful Jesus has brought me to my own place of healing so that I might encourage others for their journey..like you.