A New Day: Pudding the Past and the Present in Perspective3 min read

“Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” – Lamentations 3:22-23

Today is a new day.

Today God’s mercies are new.

But today, God is the same.

Kraft sign that Dad designed

For 20 years my dad worked at Kraft Foods Jell-O plant in Mason City, IA, the source of every single Jell-O cup on the planet. It was a physically-demanding job, especially after my dad was severely injured in an elevator accident 10 years ago. Add to that his age and the demands of taking care of a growing family at home, and his full-time job continued to take a toll on him.

But nevertheless, it was a job that met the needs of our family, a family which now includes 8 kids, all of which are about 3 years apart, ranging from one to twenty-two-years-old. For 20 years God provided a stable job that sufficiently supported our family.

However, for several years now, we have been praying that God would allow Dad to finish up his time at Kraft and provide another source of income. Dad’s schedule required him to work a cycle of four days and four nights, and he missed church half the time too. The job wore on him both physically and spiritually at times.

We started a new business three years ago, God’s Eternal Masterpiece, but that wasn’t enough yet to allow Dad to leave Kraft. So the question was, when would that time come?

Well, yesterday was the day. Kraft is downsizing, and yesterday was Dad’s last day of work. Today is a new day, and Dad doesn’t have a regular-paying job.

But God is not new today! His mercies are new, but His character is the same.

Dad's Farewell PlaqueBy God’s grace, Dad was able to retire yesterday with enough finances to support our family for the next several months. By God’s grace, Dad is home in time for Christmas and he will be able to spend lots of time with family. By God’s grace, we have plans in place to help us earn an income right out of our home as Dad looks for another job. By God’s grace, Dad gets to go to church with us regularly.

By God’s grace, we have no reason to worry and fret and every reason to hope and rejoice! (Matthew 6:31-34)

10 years ago when Dad had his accident, he could not walk for almost a year, and therefore he could not work. We had five children in the home at the time, and God provided for all of our needs and more. 10 years later, God will continue to provide for this family that now has eight kids, and He will do it above and beyond what we can expect or imagine.

Yes, I will miss having my closet at college packed with 600+ pudding cups that Dad brought home. I will miss the Kraft brand foods that we could buy in bulk. I will miss some of the other food-related benefits that came with the job. But “is not life more than food?” (Matthew 6:25)

When you pray, don’t always expect God to answer the way you had in mind. God answered our prayers, and today my dad doesn’t have a job. But why is that okay? Because God is sovereign and in control and He will provide.

Today is a new day. Today’s God’s mercies are new. But today, God is still the same.

“Great…is your faithfulness…”

Oh, and did I mention that my dad is home for Christmas?

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