It was Christmas Eve . . . a week prior to this final day of 2008 . . . New Years Eve 2008. My sister had asked me, the week prior to Christmas Eve, what plan we could come up with that would bring a meaningful touch to the evening. My response was to suggest that we do what Michael and I did with two of our own grandchildren the year before . . . let's have the children read the Luke 2 Christmas story aloud prior to our time of gift opening. In this way we would have the children’s attention and the adults would certainly be listening to the sound of their small voices. The real wonder of this was the fact we would do it at all. Our family gatherings have never been centered around open spirituality . . . it was simply understood this was the time of year we celebrate Jesus Christ’s birth.
The four children were assigned 5 verses each. Noah, 11, started out followed by Carter, 8. Kaylee, 8, was a little shy in front of the entire family, so Noah willingly read his little sister's part. Taylor, 6, read the final verses. The entire family was captivated by the children as they read the story of Jesus’ birth. I was personally captivated by the spirit of God that filled the room and the hearts of our family like I have never seen before. More than likely, that was the case with the others, if truth was to be known!
Perhaps 30 minutes later the 3 boys, who had made their way outside into the cold night to run off some of their Christmas Eve energy in my sister’s front yard, came barreling into the house to find me. Noah, our oldest grandson, led the troop and excitedly ran to me asking, “Grandma, you have got to come outside! We have found the star that was over Bethlehem when Jesus was born!!” What Grandmother wouldn’t venture out in the cold to see a sight like this at the urging of 3 young cousins who had made such a discovery?
Out on the front sidewalk the 3 arms pointed up above to the brightest star in the sky as Noah announced the position of the very star that led to baby Jesus many years ago!!! The two other boys ran back into the house to get my sister, their own “Gamma”. As she came outside and responded to the sight in the sky the same as I did . . . with wonder and amazement to match the same that was spilling out of the boys . . . the youngest, Taylor, declared the very words that would pierce into the deepest place in the heart of my sister who has been alone for the past twenty years . . . “Gamma!! The star is over your house!!! You are the goodest one of God!!” Taylor shouted the same words over and over again!! He was convinced that his Gamma was indeed the “goodest one of God”! Taylor then told his Gamma that her house was "going to Heaven" (because the star was right over her house), so she asked Taylor where she was going to sleep. He replied, "In your house - you will be in Heaven too". Luana's quick response to him was she was NOT ready to go just yet!!
The four children were assigned 5 verses each. Noah, 11, started out followed by Carter, 8. Kaylee, 8, was a little shy in front of the entire family, so Noah willingly read his little sister's part. Taylor, 6, read the final verses. The entire family was captivated by the children as they read the story of Jesus’ birth. I was personally captivated by the spirit of God that filled the room and the hearts of our family like I have never seen before. More than likely, that was the case with the others, if truth was to be known!
Perhaps 30 minutes later the 3 boys, who had made their way outside into the cold night to run off some of their Christmas Eve energy in my sister’s front yard, came barreling into the house to find me. Noah, our oldest grandson, led the troop and excitedly ran to me asking, “Grandma, you have got to come outside! We have found the star that was over Bethlehem when Jesus was born!!” What Grandmother wouldn’t venture out in the cold to see a sight like this at the urging of 3 young cousins who had made such a discovery?
Out on the front sidewalk the 3 arms pointed up above to the brightest star in the sky as Noah announced the position of the very star that led to baby Jesus many years ago!!! The two other boys ran back into the house to get my sister, their own “Gamma”. As she came outside and responded to the sight in the sky the same as I did . . . with wonder and amazement to match the same that was spilling out of the boys . . . the youngest, Taylor, declared the very words that would pierce into the deepest place in the heart of my sister who has been alone for the past twenty years . . . “Gamma!! The star is over your house!!! You are the goodest one of God!!” Taylor shouted the same words over and over again!! He was convinced that his Gamma was indeed the “goodest one of God”! Taylor then told his Gamma that her house was "going to Heaven" (because the star was right over her house), so she asked Taylor where she was going to sleep. He replied, "In your house - you will be in Heaven too". Luana's quick response to him was she was NOT ready to go just yet!!
Those words, the celestial sighting, and that evening would be remembered forever in the hearts of my family. Perhaps a new tradition has been established . . . to honor the ONE whom honor is due . . . by celebrating JESUS CHRIST and the wonder of God’s signs in the sky . . . the star that led my family to HIM!
