4:58 p.m. Today's project was to attend a lavish Bridal Faire on the grounds of the Kimberly Crest Mansion in Redlands, the site of our daughter Heidi's wedding next June to Pavel Ilie. Dozens of vendors touted their wares, from caterers, photographers and DJs to jewelry, makeup and tux rentals, and everything imaginable in wedding finery.
As with other events during this season of Steve's Alzheimer's, arrangements were needed for him for the afternoon, so I could focus on asking questions and planning wedding details. It was also a relaxed opportunity to enjoy Heidi and Pavel's company. Steve would have had difficulty balancing piles of food on tiny plates while walking from vendor to vendor and would have had some issues conversing with strangers. So he and I will go over there together a few times next year before the wedding to acquaint him with the venue.
Last Thursday I called Bob and Debbie Snyder to see whether they could take Steve home with them right after church, offering to be back before time to go their Home Fellowship. Since the event ended at 4, and Home Fellowships start at 5:30, there would be no problem. Bob and Debbie have really come alongside me to help with Steve over the last year when I need to be at a function on my own. Apparently, the two guys had a great time tinkering and working on a repair project, and their afternoon went quickly. Such friends are so refreshing to me, and they represent Jesus Christ well. My supportive brothers and sisters are offering me that "cup of cold water" Jesus refers to in Matthew 10:42. May they be amply rewarded for their mercy and generosity!
Heidi, Pvel and I had a great time, picked up unique ideas, tasted dozens of samples of gourmet appetizers and stunning wedding cakes, and experienced a renewed excitment for the wedding. Kimberly Crest will make our daughter's wedding an elegant affair.
Driving around the charming streets of Redlands, my hometown, viewing Victorian mansions on bridal paths rather than cement sidewalks, certainly transported me to the past. But my imagination swept me into a more modern era as well. I felt comfortable, warm, nostalgic and at ease as I passed streets where my junior high and high school friends lived, as well as my favorite English teacher, Mrs. Alexandris, reminding me of my adolescence, a wonderful time. My friends and I even used to run around in Prospect Park at night, the same location graced by the Kimberly Crest mansion. "Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions," David wrote in Psalm 25:7a. Praise the Lord that He has removed believers' transgressions "as far as the east is from the west" (Psalm 103:12)!
While I enjoy the reminiscences and occasional glimpses of my old life, and appreciate the comfortable childhood I was privileged to enjoy, nothing compares with the joy, peace, thrill and creative activity I experience as a child of the King. Hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit, knowing His will as revealed in the Bible, discussing and "comparing spiritual things with spiritual" (I Corinthians 2:13) tonight with my son and daughter: sheer joy!
And on that glorious day when I step into the mansion Jesus has prepared for me in heaven (John 14:1-2) for eternity: unspeakable, magnificent joy!
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