December 24, 2016
PART II
The Friday before the Christmas break finally arrived. Sarah sat in Mrs. Beacher’s class as her teacher checked roll then immediately called for the assignment. Groans escaped from several students as she asked that the papers be passed to the front of each row. Sarah felt a little uneasy about her work, but nothing else had come to her; she would turn it in anyway. The remaining time in the class was spent on free reading where each student could read whatever they chose to bring to class. Sarah had been given a book of modern poetry and decided to bring that for her reading time. Mrs. Beacher sat at the front of the class reading through the students’ papers, Sarah thought in an attempt to catch anyone who had defaulted on the assignment. As the bell rang and Mrs. Beacher dismissed the class and wished each student a Merry Christmas, she asked Sarah to step to her desk as she was walking to the door.
“Yes ma’m,” Sarah muttered uneasily, thinking that she was in trouble or certainly had not completed her assignment correctly.
Mrs. Beacher paused for a few moments before speaking, “Sarah, when I gave this assignment, I expected some really light and fun work from this class. As I am reading your poem, I am seeing something very serious…would you mind telling me about your thoughts…and it looks like your favorite Christmas item might be the Christmas star..?
Sarah looked down at the floor, her heart pounding, not expecting a response from her teacher like this. “Mrs. Beacher, I am sorry that I did not do your assignment correctly; honestly I was not listening to you the day …”
Mrs. Beacher interrupted her, “Sarah, you wrote something very beautiful. I can tell it is from your heart, and I just want to understand it. I think that you are turning hurt into something beautiful. Am I correct”?
Sarah thought about her teacher’s words, and then nodded her head and felt tears welling in her eyes. She could not speak.
Mrs. Beacher continued, “Sarah, I am not going to pry, but what I see in you is a beautiful young woman with a seeking heart…and I want to encourage you to never quit seeking what is in your heart, no matter what the circumstances are. It seems to me that if the poem is about you, you are seeking hope, and love and peace. Am I correct?”
Sarah could not hold her pain any longer and began to cry, shoulders shaking and sobs escaping. Mrs. Beacher stood up from her desk to come and gently hug Sarah for a moment. Sarah regained her composure. “Mrs. Beacher, yes, I wrote this poem from the pain that I felt in my heart, but it wasn’t just for me…it is for some other people too. When I wrote the poem, someway, it made me feel a little better.”
“Yes, it will help you to heal. I think that God has put something in your heart. Pursue Him and the gift that He has given you. Follow the Star, Sarah …Follow the Christmas Star.” Mrs. Beacher wished her a Merry Christmas and followed her to the door. “Sarah, one more thing, if you need someone to talk with, I am here early every day before school.”
Sarah thanked her and left the room feeling strangely comforted by her teacher’s words. How had she known? She was glad that Mrs. Beacher had spoken with her. She did not feel so alone…
Sarah still found the excitement of Christmas irresistible! One of her parent‘s had placed the decorations on the tree one day while she was at school, everything but the silver star, which lay on the coffee table. She guessed that it was her mother who finished the task, but could not climb to set the star in its place. She had her tree after all. She would go to a friend‘s Christmas party on Saturday afternoon. Then on Sunday, she might attend church services at her church. But she knew that she would go alone. Since the argument, both of her parents had quit attending their church. They were faithful to take her and drop her off and were always on time to pick her up for the ride home. Her mother always asked her about the service, as though she lived vicariously through her daughter. Strangely, Sarah found the time alone to be comforting. She purposely lingered in the foyer pretending to read materials scattered on the tables, and would enter just before the processional. In doing so, she avoided sitting alone for so long or being asked to sit with families who might feel sorry for her. Truthfully, she loved sitting in the back of the sanctuary because she could gaze at each of the stained glass windows and the architecture of the old church. She loved hearing the choir and seeing the beautiful gold cross that took above the altar.
On Sunday afternoon, her mother asked Sarah to sit in the kitchen with her for some cookies and tea. She had something to discuss with her. “Sarah, darling, you know that that this year your dad and I won’t be attending Christmas Eve service….and well, Emily’s mother called to invite you to go with their family to their service. They have offered to pick you up and take you, and then your dad would pick you from the church and bring you home. What do you think about this?”
Sarah tried to look into her mother’s eyes, but her mother quickly stood and walked to the kitchen sink in front of the window. She stood there for several seconds without moving as Sarah thought about the offer. “Sure Mom sounds great!” She surprised herself at how excited she had sounded. Her mother seemed relieved by her answer and turned around wiping away tears from her eyes. “And Mom, thanks for finishing the tree. It’s really beautiful!”
Sarah awoke to a surprise snowfall on Christmas Eve morning. The yard was covered with a white blanket and the birds sang the Christmas anthem as they made their dance from tree to tree. She was amazed at how still her world looked, except for the busyness of the birds and the few squirrels scampering up the snow-covered trees. How peaceful the morning looked. Then she remembered that Christmas was at its eve…
She smelled something delicious coming from the kitchen and found her father making pancakes. “Good morning Angel!” Her father sometimes used the endearing name, but she had not heard it in awhile.
“Good morning daddy! Sarah sat down to her delicious breakfast and enjoyed a warm visit with her father.
She spent the day wrapping a few last-minute gifts and then prepared to be picked up by Emily’s family for the Christmas Eve service. Sarah had never attended her friend’s church. She wondered if it could possibly be as beautiful as her church. She was sad to think that she would miss the service at her own church, but it would be nice to be with her friend, and her family. Sarah dressed in her favorite red sweater and slipped on her blue wool jacket and red scarf just in time to run out the door to the car waiting at the curb. She was careful to make her away around the snow accumulations but found it effortless because her father had gone out in the afternoon to scrape the sidewalk.
They arrived at a small stone church after a twenty-minute drive. The little building looked like a cottage with a large steeple. It looked like it could capsize the structure at any moment. But as Sarah gazed up to the top, she noticed how the steeple was lit against the dark winter night and how beautiful and peaceful it looked. They entered the small foyer and removed their coats to hang them, picked up a lovely Christmas program with a picture of the three wise men following the Christmas star. She smiled as she held the program in her hand and thought about the star…the Christmas star.
They entered the sanctuary and Christmas enveloped her as she stood spell-bound. Beautiful red poinsettias filled every nook and space in the little church. Green garland was strung from every arch and on the backs of the pews. It smelled like Christmas and the candles created a magic that she had never seen before. As they took their seats toward the front of the church, a deep voice spoke out from the from behind the altar.
“The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.” From the book of Isaiah, the ninth chapter, the second verse. The man returned to his seat and the lights in the church were lowered, leaving only the glow of the candles.
The voice was replaced with a choir from the back of the church singing the words “Alleluia, Alleluia….” Sarah sat frozen in her seat listening and feeling a warmth she had not felt in a long time. Then she felt movement coming from the back of the church in the aisle, and she leaned to watch a processional coming into the sanctuary being led by a cross that looked like a bright light. Few moved during these moments as though trying to preserve a sacred moment. The service continued as scripture was read and beautiful music floated through the building. Sarah scarcely heard the words spoken as her eyes were focused on the shining cross at the front of the church. She thought about the darkness and the great light….
The service ended as a woman lit the Christmas candle on the altar and the congregation sang “Silent Night.” She exited the church with Emily and her parents. She was surprised at all the chatter she heard in the foyer and outside the front doors of the church. She still felt the magic of the Christmas service….and yet, there seemed to be such joy and gladness in the people’s voices. She let herself get caught in the joy and found herself giggling with Emily about the excitement of the evening.
Emily’s parents helped her to her father’s waiting car. The families exchanged Christmas wishes and regards and Sarah’s father slowly pulled the car into the street. Silence filled the car as she stared out the window of the car, up into the dark beautiful night. How clear the sky was, almost like a mirror reflecting the amazing stars that lit the darkness. And there it was! She saw an unbelievably bright star. “Look Daddy,” she broke the silence. “Look Daddy, I think that I see the Christmas Star!”
Her father smiled and said “Yes, Angel, I think that you probably do.” They drove the rest of the way home with occasional conversation. Sarah shared with her father a few of the details of the church service, but keeping some things to herself.
They arrived at her home and walked in through the kitchen door. The house was silent and the lights were off. Obviously, her mother had gone to bed. She thanked her father and told him goodnight and went down the hallway to her room. She climbed into bed after going through her evening rituals. But tonight, she slipped the church program from the pocket of her coat and unfolded it as she looked one more time at the beautiful picture on the church program. “People in the darkness would see a great light…..” She smiled as she tucked the program under her pillow and fell into a peaceful sleep.
The next morning announced itself with the bird’s anthems and the silence of her house. Sarah could hardly believe that it was Christmas morning. She lay in bed for a few moments thinking about the church service and then the pain of her own Christmas tried to crash into her thoughts. She jumped up from her bed as if to run from the thoughts. Still in her pajamas, she walked down the hallway to the living room. Finding the door opened, she peered into the room. The Christmas tree lights were on and there in the room sat her parents, talking quietly with cups of coffee in their hands.
“Merry Christmas, Angel” her father said.
Sarah was shocked at the picture of her parents sitting by the tree. She thought, no she knew, that this was a temporary truce. But what a wonderful picture…And then she looked up to the top of her tree and there she saw the silver Christmas Star anchored to the pinnacle of the tree. She suddenly understood what her parents had done. In the midst of their problems, their pain, their struggles, they had known what it was that she needed for Christmas. They gave her all they were capable of giving her, and she was deeply appreciative.
And in that moment, she also realized that she was not alone…there was so much more. No matter how dark the circumstances might be, there was a hope that she could not understand now, but it was there. She felt it. She felt it in the encouragement of her teacher. She felt it in the warmth of her friend’s family…in the beauty and of an old church and the brilliance of the cross. She felt it in her parents’ love for her. There were people who cared about her. There was love, even though it hurt. There was peace…in this moment and peace that was bigger than all of her life, than everything!
And, then she knew that it was the peace of the bright Light that she had seen at church, and the Light that she had seen in the winter night…the Light of the Christmas child, baby Jesus…
Sarah understood…she had found the peace of the “Christmas Star”, and she, like the wisemen, would follow the star…the Christmas Star for the rest of her life.
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My friends, as you stand in the long lines, and as crowds of people rush by you, as you spend time with your big-personality families, remember, you are a difference maker…shining the Light of God’s love into hearts who are hurting, or broken, or into lives who need a word of encouragement, or a moment of kindness. And, as you go about your Christmas, making a difference in the lives of others…
I wish you His joy and His peace as you follow the “Christmas Star”.
Merry Christmas!
