I don’t usually wear a lot of jewelry, but I do love wearing this simple necklace with a single little star charm. My mom and Dad gave me this necklace during one of my most difficult life seasons. For me, this small piece of silver is more than just that- it is a constant uplifting reminder of my confidence in Christ.
Most Christmas Nativity scenes feature a big bright star over the barn where baby Jesus lays in the lowly manger- one of the many mysteries of that miraculous night. Many people know that the star is what guided the three wise men to find Jesus, but the Bible doesn’t tell us much more than that. The magi knew to be expecting the coming of the Messiah, but they didn’t know when or where He would appear. Yet when they saw the star, they immediately knew its meaning. They packed up and left to follow it, without knowing where it would lead them.
For most of my life, the biblical Christmas story came out with the Christmas tree, decorations, and carols in December and was packed away again come New Years. The story of the wise men and the Christmas star is now more applicable to me than ever before. It is easy to agree that this is not the year we expected, wanted, hoped for. The past few months feel like a fever dream (did April even happen this year?), and as things go back to normal, I’m realizing that it might not be the “normal” I’m used to. It’s really hard for me to accept that I have extremely little control over my life. There are a lot of things I can’t change and a lot of questions I don’t have the answers to. I am reminded that God is the same today as He was on the first Christmas. It reminds me that even though I don’t know what lies ahead- where I’ll go, what I’ll do, what will happen- I can confidently follow just like the wise men, knowing that God is leading me closer to Him.
My trip is still launching in January, but it’s definitely going to look different- everything looks different now. Luckily, my God is still exactly the same, and because of that, I can be confident to follow into whatever lies ahead.
“After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.” Matthew 2:9
^had an amazing summer at my internship in NM! Graduated Baylor and now back in Houston!
