Perfect Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins...and a work in progress

We are all works in progress, aren’t we? And sometimes when we lose sight of the ultimate goal, the work we do doesn’t progress us at all! We fall and fumble in our ways. We watch others with a skeptical gaze and focus hard on our opposing opinions instead of lifting our eyes to the common cause of the Kingdom.

So, sometimes it’s good to return to the foundation where we reset our sights and remember what we’re supposed to be progressing towards. When we go back to ‘home base’ we’re able to stand back and see how our Savior always points His children towards sanctification and salvation. He’s always out front beckoning us to step from burden to blessing because each small leap leads us closer to Him.

You see, no matter who we are or how we do it, with Him guiding from ahead we’re always aimed right. When we’re on our own unique walk towards Him, we’re always heading towards His love and gripping His grace, each step giving us more reason to run this race!

Some say it out loud and others listen intent. Some walk with purpose while others wobble about. Some sing, some dance. Some of us ride the waves without a plan in place and others focus hard on structure in this rat race.

Personal style matters much less when we step back and see how God so perfectly plans our unique progression towards heavenly paradise. Back at home base, we can see all the ‘works in progress’ walking around with His purpose.  Let us always pray: "Lord, in our own little spaces and inside the isolated lives we live, let us never lose sight of salvation as the ultimate goal, where all Your children win." 

Let’s let go of preconceived notions and petty nonsense so we can all hold hands as we progress towards the common Kingdom cause. As we work with endurance towards one place, we can each uniquely further the cause of the cross!

Yeah, these are the things I think of when I’m creating in the kitchen. I recently watched all five girls walk into my cooking space, sizing up what I worked to prepare early in the morning so they’d enjoy warm muffins before school. Someone snatched one up while the another poked and prodded, sniffed and smelled my pretty little pumpkin muffins (which were also a work in progress since the recipe took a few tries to work out). One of them even sat down, staring, waiting for me to serve her. Humph.

In this moment of our morning rat race, I watched each of them approach the act of love I hoped to feed them with differently. Some reactions solicited my heart’s affection while others irked my well-intentioned heart. Then I remembered: I’m working here for one cause. Even in this minor moment of our everyday life, my act and intention didn’t need to be swayed by their ways. I love them just the same as I prepare and send them off filled with healthy, hopefully tasty, nourishment. And from my home base, I could see each ‘work in progress’ walking around my kitchen as God’s little girl still working out their salvation. 

That's just what Jesus does for us. No matter what our reaction, He's still calling us closer. So, I guess my question remains, 'why not stay focused on the Savior when He's the One that never wavers?'

Yeah…all that from these finally-perfect-little gluten-free pumpkin muffins!