Afterglows
Judy Popineau Wick
Our family affectionately labels special re-cap times - following an event or activity – as “Afterglows.” Perhaps you do the same.
Sometimes they are spontaneous - like after Wes & I have friends over for dinner. When they depart, we attack the kitchen together (another reason I love him!). While rinsing plates and loading the dishwasher, we rehash the evening, maybe retelling a funny story or commenting on an interesting point raised during dessert. It’s our private afterglow - a way to tie the gift of that day with a perfect bow. And, bonus - clean kitchen.
Some afterglows are planned. When each of our children got married, we knew after the rehearsal dinner, wedding and reception that we would still want more time with family and close friends. Thus, each wedding had an afterglow (minus the newlywed couple who were having their own!).
Two Sundays ago our home church, Christian Life Center in Santa Cruz, voted in our new Pastor – Jeremy Anderson. He, Debora and their four beautiful children were welcomed with amazing enthusiasm!
Following this really special day at church, Wes treated me to coffee at Verve in Santa Cruz. Sitting outside, with a delicious cup of java, my boyfriend and a heart filled with joy over what God is going to do in our church, county and beyond – made for a perfect Sunday afternoon afterglow.
But this year’s favorite afterglow happened following my daddy’s memorial celebration and graveside service in September. My mother wanted her five kids, our spouses and all her grandchildren to meet at our family homestead in Covina, California.
In my dad’s last twenty-nine years on Planet Earth, he read through the Bible annually. One of his final deathbed wishes was that each of his thirteen grandchildren would receive a Bible from him and Mother.
That special afternoon, Gram presented the grandkids with one of Papa Don’s well-used Bibles, each received with such joy. The richness of that afterglow will live in our hearts forever.
Our youngest son, Jeremy, has grown in his desire to memorize Scripture. While he’ll treasure Papa Don’s King James Bible the rest of his life, it also inspired him to buy an English Standard Version hardcopy. For all his adult life he had relied on Bible apps for study and memorization. He is now gaining a new appreciation for the old-school, bound copy of the Bible. Papa Don would be so proud!
In these last days of 2018 and in this new year ahead with life’s busyness, we hope you’ll take time for afterglows with loved ones.
And may all of our lives - lived out in the afterglow of Jesus coming to save us – reflect His joy, grace and deeper appreciation for His Word.