(A Short Story by Gail Landgraf)
I am just one little star, but I have a great story to tell:
Everything happened so very long ago. Yet; I vividly remember every detail of each amazing moment. Stars have good memories you know. The story is as vivid in my mind as if it happened yesterday.
My story actually began during the time of that first mighty miracle of light, when The Master of The Universe separated me out from the greater light which He had miraculously provided. Before I was separated into who I am now, I got to be a part of that great and awesome event. I believe they call it Hanukkah now. It happened during the restoration of God’s Temple.
That miracle was the most amazing thing!
The original light had only enough oil added to allow it to shine for one day. There was only one cruse of holy oil left. More could be made, but it would take time. We didn’t have time. The people had great faith in The Master of The Universe though. They all secretly hoped He would help them to survive.
Those poor people were worn out from fighting the enemies.
They had been through so much. Their religious freedom had been ripped away. Nothing was good for them without God as the center. They needed the Temple to worship. So; they had fought and fought for freedom in worship.
Many of them gave their lives in order that others could come to the Temple and worship The Master of The Universe in the way He had commanded. He had been their God forever; since the very beginning of time. It was only right that they should take a stand to defend His ways and their culture’s ability to worship Him in the way He chose.
Those days were dark and dangerous times for God’s faithful.
Of course there were those horrid individuals who did not even believe The Master of The Universe existed. They wanted to control everything. The one in charge had falsely declared himself to be the highest in the land. He even seemed to place himself above God.
Who would be that bold?
This evil man’s followers came into the Holy Temple and desecrated everything. Afterwards they brought in all of the forbidden things. There were so many detestable things that The Master did not allow. Still they brought them into the holy place because they did not care. Horrid men with pagan worship rituals came and laid their filthy idols down on the holy sacred altar. They filled the holy sacred spaces full of their detestable practices.
The good people who loved The Master Of The Universe so were appalled.
They mourned and mourned for days on end. At first they seemed helpless to stop anything this arrogant man who called himself god was doing. He ordered armies of men to bring in fake and foreign gods made of wood, stone, silver and gold. They set them up as if they actually belonged in the holy spaces.
This was such an abomination in the eyes of the true believers. Now none of them wanted to set a foot inside the formerly blessed and familiar places which they had once treasured, loved and adored.
I watched all of this take place from my lofty perch in the highest heavens. Horrified, I observed from my place which was only inches away from The Master of the Universe.
I wondered what on earth He would decide to do next.
Sadly, I saw the huge tears that formed in the corners of His eyes. I saw Him cringe with disgust as they desecrated His most holy altar with all things forbidden. With great relief, I saw Him control His power and hold back His desire to strike out at the enemies of The Kingdom.
I wondered if possibly he would decide to destroy the whole earth and be done with all of its evil forever. Looking through starry and disturbed eyes I saw him quench his anger against those perverted arrogant, much too bold men who knew nothing of the forces they tampered with.
Then I realized why The Master had paused.
He was thinking of those that He loved so much.
The Master was so mad and disgusted as He saw these things unfold, but in all of His wisdom, He did not insert Himself into the situation. He made a decision not to destroy everything in sight and held back His vengeance. Instead; He gave the Maccabees just enough power and might to defeat those that had seemed so impossible for their little rag-tag army to defeat.
Their leader, Judith, had boldly inspired each faithful and true soldier not to look at the size of the enemy. Instead, Judith encouraged them to think of the size of The Master Of The Universe. The faith of those true to The Master overcame their fears.
In the days that happened later, the common people saw their first great miracle from God; that of defeating the pagan king who had shook his fist in their faces and taken over their God’s holy temple.
At last, after long hard battles and prayers, the whole city of Jerusalem was in a great and joyous celebration of this seemingly impossible feat which had come to pass. Now they were finally free of this terrible man who tried to take the place of God, but they still had the stench and the smell of his perversions all through the city. The awful stench was still inside the temple. Would they ever rid the holy city of it?
They determined to try. With God’s help they could achieve a restoration.
The true ones dug right in and worked very hard for days and days. Everything possible was done to undo all the abominable things that had been done to the temple. The stress on the Master’s face turned to a slight smile as all of the stars from heaven watched from our heavenly perches. We were amazed at what a few faithful men were willing and able to do for the Kingdom. Everyone in Heaven was happy to see the change.
Now I saw the pride in the Father’s eyes. I saw Him look down and bless his people with strength and energy.
Those mighty warriors of God cleansed and purified everything inside the Temple. Then, they pulled out the hidden supply of holy sacred oil. This was their only hope for bringing the temple back to light from such a terrible time of darkness.
Alas, there was only enough sacred oil for one day.
Should they light the great temple lamp anyway?
The festival of the lights had always lasted for eight days. The priests did not have nearly the oil that was needed. What they had MIGHT last for one day.
Judith stood in the atrium and addressed the purified priests. “Little is much when God is in it.” They all nodded and agreed.
In that very moment, I saw the faint beginning of a smile upon the Master’s face. The priest did not flinch or hesitate. He poured the oil as he offered up a simple prayer. Next he lit the lamp. I knew he was totally trusting God for all of the rest.
The slight smile that had begun on the face of The Master of The Universe turned into a bright, beaming, dazzling smile!
I loved seeing the Master’s smile.
Then I wondered, what would happen now?
What would God do next?
What would happen when the first day came to a close and the lights could be lit no more? Would the people lose all of the hope that had just been rekindled in their hearts?
“Trust Me!” The Master said.
He was still smiling.
I was sitting there next to The Master when the end of the first day arrived. The lamps were flickering low and the wick was almost lost in the last little bit of oil. As I watched intently, I was also patiently waiting for my own purpose to reveal itself. Waiting patiently beside him, I observed everything that the Master saw. I tried not to think of my own situation. He had promised me earlier that He would soon reveal my purpose if I would just wait there with Him.
So I waited.
The Master never explains all the details. I only knew that very limited amount of information; and I wondered if He would be too distracted with all that was going on with the oil for the temple to pay attention to my own little life’s ambitions.
I was hopeful though.
Surely He had created me for a reason. I had faith that soon the beginning foundations of that purpose would be laid out for my understanding. Constantly I was wondering what would happen next and when my turn would come.
He winked at me for reassurance.
Then suddenly in a split second of time, just as the lamps were flickering low, The Master of The Universe sent me tumbling and hurling through space.
With no warning at all, I found myself rolling and sliding through the constellations and stars. Suddenly I was falling right past the moon, tumbling down and changing and evolving as I went until I found myself on the earth. The next instant I was inside the temple and falling into the place of the Great Light.
My being was slowly dissolving into a puddle. I fell deep within that tiny bit of oil left in the great Temple lamps. As I morphed into a substance I had never been before, I heard the sound of The Master’s voice as He shouted down from the Heavens to me.
“NOW IS YOUR TIME! SHINE LIKE YOU HAVE NEVER SHINNED BEFORE!”
Those very encouraging words from The Master helped me to grasp this part of my purpose. Within this crazy and chaotic new set of surroundings, I began to do just what He had always taught me to do.
I started to shine!
All of my being sent beams of beautiful white light out through the arches of the temple. Many shadows bounced and danced off the walls. The whole place began to light up with a new, bright and pure, holy light.
It was the most beautiful light the people had ever seen.
They fell to their knees. The faithful offered thanks, praise and worship to The Master of The Universe for sending such an amazing light into the darkness. He had provided the oil they had lacked.
They marveled at the majesty of my pure light as it beamed out at them. All the common people came and bowed low before the altar which honored the Master of The Universe. The people of God knew in that instant that the holy way of life was being restored to them. Their hope had returned.
There were tears of joy in the faces of the people.
Those who had survived the long and painful waiting were very happy indeed. Complete happiness sprung from their faces as they danced and sang. The whole city celebrated all through the night and into the next day of The Great Feast.
What an experience this was for me. I had lain dormant in the vast halls of the heavens for millennia. Now I was here among The Master’s special and holy people being as useful as possible.
My heart knew that the Master of the Universe had determined to give these peculiar yet special people His very life in order that they might live eternally with Him in the future. It was unbelievable to find myself in their company. Even more, I marveled to be found among them in such an honorable state. My heart was warmed from such love.
With rays of total joy my light beamed brighter and brighter.
My very small part in the whole scheme of time seemed so insignificant. Yet; I determined to do it well. This small task I had been given was so simple and humble, just shinning out my life into a restored temple; but I puffed out my chest and shinned and sparkled with all of my might.
In the midst of all the greatest moments of the Master’s story; I wanted nothing more than to please my Master in some way.
I desired to see the smile on His face again because I had learned that was the greatest thing a being could ever experience.
My eyes longed to see that smile just once more.
I hoped that the angels of Heaven were enjoying His smile as I held myself in place and did what I was created to do. With every ounce of strength I had I let all of the light I was capable of shinning come out into that great and awesome old building. The marvelous place they called the temple had survived and kept its sacred secrets against such impossible odds. What an honor to be there helping to restore its glory.
Everyone within the temple could feel the magic of this glorious moment in time.
Men from everywhere came to gaze at the glory of the light at the end of the second sunset. All were totally amazed that the great light was still shinning. There was still light in the darkness on the second night.
They were even more amazed at the end of the third day!
Then came the fourth, the fifth, the sixth, the seventh day, and then that great last eighth day when it was taking all that I had to go on shinning yet a little while longer.
I sensed that the eighth day brought my humble task for the world to completion.
Laying there exhausted, I basked in knowing that my purpose was now fulfilled.
As the light from my being faded, I marveled as the people came and gave glory and praise to God for the hope that the light had brought to them. They knew it was a sign from The Master which told them He was still with them. Now they surely knew that He still cared about every little thing that happened to them.
By shinning out into those sacred spaces that they had fought so hard to restore I began to feel their renewed hope.
At the end of the eighth day, I felt my strength draining away. My light wavered and flickered low. I was barely holding on as a small ember of light in the great lamp. Wonder of all wonders; I saw the Master of The Universe smiling down at me! That was when The Master came, scooped me up, and took me back into the vast halls of the Heavens.
Nothing was more beautiful than that smile from The Master, even if you were just embers that might never flame again. I was now at peace.
He tenderly took my tired and worn parts and placed them into a little waiting place. Then He whispered softly; “Wait here until you hear Me call you again. Rest for now. In the many years to come I have another job for you to do. You are not finished; your purpose has only just begun.”
Just begun?
Just begun!
I was sadly thinking that my time was now over. Sadly I pondered the fact that I might never get to see that glorious smile of the Master again. As happy as I was to have served well; I was not ready to be a distinguished light.
So as I drifted off to sleep I held on to His hopeful words. I really was so very, very
tired. Shinning for eight long days with all of your might certainly takes the strength right out of you.
The trip back through the vast universe had been a long and treacherous journey for such a little light like me; but when I saw His smile; that changed everything. It gave me enough renewed energy to hold on to the life that was still within me and allowed my spirit to rest.
As I rested in quiet and peace, I dreamed of that glorious smile for thousands of years, until one day when He came and awakened me with a kiss. When I was fully alert; He informed me of my next task.
I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard the wondrous things I was to do. It seemed I did have another new part to play in the great unfolding of The Master’s will for all of mankind.
He assured me I was indeed a very blessed light.
The Master Himself had even called me a star.
With all of my might I puffed out my chest and stood on my tallest beam. Every effort in me tried to shine like I had never done before.
I knew that my time had come.
The Master of The Universe was now in the process of unfolding His great plan of salvation for the human race. All of Heaven was excited. We ALL had a part to play.
He was going to wrap Himself up in the flesh of a tiny child and come to be born in a small little shelter where the animals lived.
The angels gasped when they heard this news. Quickly they took their places to stand guard against any trouble from the enemy.
Those like me, who had been waiting for thousands of years to come forth, thought it an odd plan indeed. Wasn’t it very odd for a Great God to become a little child? Yet; who were we to question The Master of The Universe? He was always right.
We all vowed to do our very best.
Every creature of Heaven wanted to bring their part of the story to life. Each one of us determined to do just as we had been instructed.
Just before He became a child The Master took me in His huge mighty hands and blessed me. Then He rolled me into a giant ball of fire. Before I knew what was happening, He hurled me down through countless galaxies of space into the skies of the earth.
I landed right over the skyline of Persia. Three men were sitting directly beneath me. They looked up just as I landed. Quickly they began asking one another questions. They seemed to be very excited.
Later I learned they had been studying the skies for a long time for a sign of a true and mighty King.
When they saw me they practically danced with joy.
It was so much fun to see their excitement as they noticed my bright light. Now every time I looked down they were staring right back at me with huge questioning eyes of wonder.
My amusement continued as I watched from above them, but I couldn’t really pay too much attention to them. Many things had to be done quickly. There was a path all mapped out that the Master had given to me. I studied this path for years and years and knew it like the back of my hand.
We had mapped it and drawn it out together; just The Master and I. He sternly commanded I memorize every little point of the whole destination. Finally, I knew why he had me to learn these things so very, very long ago. It all came right back to me as I sailed through the dark skies leaving bright and blazing trails of light behind me.
So it was that I began my exciting journey through the velvety night skies; doing all the while exactly what The Master had taught me to do so very well. I was outshining all of the other stars in the sky as I sailed right past them and made my way toward a tiny little town called Bethlehem.
Those same men were following me all the way, never losing sight of my light. They followed me every inch of the journey until at last they too came to see and hear and know all the things that I was allowed to behold from my excellent front row seat up in the balcony of the sky.
The night began with the great sound of the angels singing glory to God. Soon a group of shepherds joined in with them, proclaiming the birth of a King!
I remembered those last instructions from The Master; “when you hear the angels sing, and you see the shepherds in the field; shine brighter!”
Remembering those instructions I did my very best. My light shone and shone and shone, like it had never shone before; and those wise men began to notice. They traveled on, still following my light right to the end of the pathway.
Then we all finally heard what we had been listening for all along.
It was the beautiful cry of a tiny little baby boy who had been wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger, as if he were just the simplest form of food.
And my heart leaped for joy!
I stopped right above that little shelter where he lay. Sweetly I heard his dear Mother singing a lullaby as the shepherds and the angels looked on with delight.
For what seemed like moments frozen in time, I stayed there just gazing down upon the child. I stayed and I shinned my light over Him each night as he grew and grew. Each passing day I watched as the wise men slowly made their way toward Him. They not only followed him to Bethlehem; they also followed him to the places he went after he left Bethlehem.
These tired men had traveled for months on camels laden down with awesome gifts for a King that was a child. When they finally arrived; almost 18 months after that night he was born; they brought their gifts to him.
It seemed that a King should always receive a gift of your very best. Oh dear; what could I, just a lowly little star have to give? I had not thought of bringing the child a gift. I was miles and miles away from my perch in Heaven now.
My light would have to be my gift.
It was all that I had to offer, but it was enough light for each one that The Master had appointed to be able to find and see the child.
Because my light was there; they could see the King of Kings.
My gift was good!
They all came with their many gifts in hand. I stayed in the skies above them and shinned my bits of light as far and wide as I could.
Never had I worked so hard to be a good light.
With each passing moment I felt such joy in the meaning of my whole being.
It seemed I was doing what The Master had designed me to do.
At last I had found my place in the great story.
I realized now my purpose was almost fulfilled.
It all seemed so wonderous.
How could this be? That the Master of the Universe had put Himself into the tiny form of a lowly child and came to live among the livestock in the middle of Bethlehem?
Could that tiny child really be Him?
I looked as close as I could. I shinned all the light that I could muster up in order to examine the child and see if the Master of the Universe could be found in him.
He was just an ordinary baby wrapped in an ordinary cloth surrounded by ordinary people.
I was almost disappointed when I looked closer.
Then it happened.
That tiny little child smiled.
When His face lit up with the smile I knew.
It was Him!
I had seen that smile before. It had happened thousands of years earlier when I first began my purpose. I would have known that smile anywhere.
There is no other smile like the Master’s smile.
And guess what?
We ALL recognized it.
Those wise men, the shepherds and all of the angels, the ordinary people and the dirty, smelly animals; we ALL saw and knew it was the smile of the Master. He was finally saying “hello” to a world that had waited forever.
Upon seeing that smile of the King, and fulfilling my purpose for being; I suddenly burst into a million little fragments of light that went into a million different corners of the universe.
Each fragment had seen the Master and KNEW that a Savior had come. Every fragment of light had a little piece of the story to share about the greatest miracle of all; that a child was born in Bethlehem one dark night beneath a brightly shinning star.
So now I rest; scattered in a million pieces across the universe, dispersed into tiny shards and pieces of fragmented light.
I’m waiting quietly and patiently in this strange state until I can hear The Master’s voice again. At that time I will know it is time to gather all of the pieces together again so we can shine out into a brand new story to give the whole earth yet another great Epiphany.