Tag Archives: Pearl Wait

What Jell-O teaches us about Christianity

NO DOUBT, YOU instantly recognize the name Jell-O…

Likely, you have even tried a flavor or two of it down through the years. However, you may not know the story behind this beloved product.

Jell-O was discovered by a man named Pearl Wait over one hundred years ago. Although Wait was a construction worker by trade, he dabbled in medicines in his spare time and sold his remedies door to door. In the midst of mixing medicines, Wait got the idea of mixing fruit flavoring with granulated gelatin; and, the wiggly, wonderful product that we know and love was born.

For two years, Wait eagerly peddled his product door-to-door. However, sales were surprisingly slow. Discouraged, Wait sold the rights to his product to a neighbor, Orator Woodward, for $450. Within eight short years, Woodward turned a $450 investment into a $1 million dollar business. Today, 1.1 million boxes of Jell-O are sold each day. Although Wait made an amazing discovery, someone else reaped the rewards of it. Ironically, Wait just couldn’t wait.

What about us? Can we wait?

As Christians, we have certainly made an amazing discovery. We have found the truth. However, we must hold it fast (2 Timothy 1.13). We must not sell it for any price (Proverbs 23.23). If we sell the wonderful truth we have found, we will live to regret it. It will cost us and our descendants greatly. If we sell the truth, we will lose far more than Pearl Wait and his descendants ever did. After all, the value of Jell-O is nothing in comparison with the value of the soul (Matthew 16.26).
Please don’t sell out! Hold on to the truth you have found! One day, you will be glad that you did. Wade Webster

“Wait on the LORD, and keep His way, and He shall exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you shall it.” Psalm 37.34

Mike Benson