The Star

There was a star in the Eastern sky
That shone down on Bethlehem,
A few had recognized the sign
A King was born to them
Drew them to a manger
To a virgin mother's son
Who would draw us to salvation
God's gift to everyone

And the star still shines
After all this time
As a light for me and you
It beckons us to seek him
Wise men still do
Wise men still do

In these crazy troubled times
The world seems so out of tune
Sometime's it's like we're living
Without a flame to light the room
If you're feeling faithless
And you think you've lost your way
O there is a hope that's bright enough
To turn your night to day

Diamond Rio, The Star Still Shines, 10.9.2007


I was going through Christmas decorations, sorting them by what to keep and what was way past time to throw out. My son Aaron was across the room at the desk on the computer doing some homework. I had been sitting for a few moments, holding ‘the star’, a cardboard cutout stapled to a toilet paper roll and covered in aluminum foil. I couldn’t bring myself to toss it in the throw away pile. We could afford better now, and I had looked for another tree topper, but nothing seemed suitable. Should I keep looking? Maybe I would use a bow this year instead. Even if I replaced “the star”, I’d hang on to it. As I sat there thinking about the Christmas I made that star and how tough that year had been, Aaron spoke:

“I love that star!” I looked up. “You’re not going to get rid of it, are you?”
“Of course not!” I replied. He smiled and went back to work. That was years ago, and that star tops our tree to this day. It represents a precious, though difficult memory of less fortunate times but of a faithful God. Aaron was only two the year that star was made. It’s the only topper he ever remembered seeing. So when I heard him say, “I love that star,” well, tossing it out would have been like tossing out part of what God had used to reveal himself to him.

That star is more than just cardboard and aluminum foil. It is part of Christmas and the reason we celebrate. It has been re-wrapped quite a few times, but oh does it shine! It represents hope, and a God who lights our way. Because of Him we don’t walk in darkness or confusion. Sometimes we must wait for direction, but He is always there letting us know we can trust Him for our every step.

The wise men followed the Star, and as the song says, “Wise men still do."