When my adult daughter, Melissa, who’d had an endoscopic procedure, asked if I had any soft food she could eat, I found a container of chocolate pudding at the back of my fridge. Melissa’s eyes closed in ecstasy as the cool chocolate slid down her sore throat. Casually turning the carton over in her hands, she screamed, “MOM, THIS PUDDING EXPIRED TWO YEARS AGO! Are you trying to poison me?”
Melissa and her sister, Brooke, delight in rummaging through my pantry and fridge, searching for expired items, and apparently with good reason. Once they found a carton of milk that had an expiration date from the previous day. From their shrieks of horror, you would have thought they’d seen a rat.
Thankfully, Jesus doesn’t have a use-by date. Sometimes, when life gets hectic and tasks overwhelm me, I forget to spend time with Him. On days like the other morning when I had to rush my cat to the vet, I neglect Him altogether. But most days, I gather my Bible, my prayer journal, and my devotional books and settle down on the couch where we always meet. Jesus is right there next to me—abiding in mercy, grace, and love.
I’m thankful that His love never expires, His grace never turns sour, and His mercy is always fresh.
—Pat Butler Dyson
