T. D. Jakes - Follow the Star: Christmas Stories That Changed My Life

My gratitude to my wife, Serita, and my entire family, who generously shared me with this manuscript. Thank you for being such a blessed gift in my life everyday. I also want to acknowledge the compassion and encouragement that I consistently receive from my church family.

Thank you, Denise Silvestro, for your insights and creativity, and for working tirelessly to bring my message to fruition.

Thank you, Joel Fotinos, for your enthusiasm, encouragement, wisdom, and for continuing to believe in me.

Thank you to everyone at Putnam. You always treat me and my work with great dignity and integrity. My gratitude to Susan Petersen Kennedy, Marilyn Ducksworth, Dan Harvey, Dick Heffernan, Chris Mosley, Martha Bushko, Meredith Phebus, Timothy Meyer, and everyone at JMS Marketing and Sales, Inc.

Thank you, Tom Winters, for your wise counsel. And to Beth Clark, whose skills helped make Follow the Star possible.

B illions of them dance across the night skydiamonds in the darkness, points of light against a canopy of endless black. They have shone for ages and ages, lending their glow to the night for millions of years. Venture outside the city, away from the street lamps and neon signs shining in shop windows downtown, away from the pollution, and look up. They will shimmer and glimmer as if theyve been freshly hurled across that dark expanse by the hand of God Himself.

They are the starsmost of them nameless, few of them ever noteworthy on their own. Except one. In the history of the universe, one star outshines the rest. That star made a statement. That was the star that heralded hope for all who would ever gaze heavenward again.

Perhaps it began as an ordinary star and grew brighter and brighter until all others seemed dim. Or perhaps it burst against an ebony backdrop like a flashbulb in a dark room. Whatever the case, it hung like Gods favorite ornament in the sky that night and it commanded the attention of the mere mortals below.

I could write the story myself, in my own words, but I could never express it as dignified and grandly as Matthew did in the Gospel that bears his name.

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also. When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.

MATTHEW 2:12; 810

This star called the wise men to worship and caused them to rejoice. But it was nothing more than a light for their pilgrim path. It was not the object of their worship; it simply pointed the way. And when it stopped, when at last it stood still in the sky, they knew they had arrived at their destination and their journey had ended.

But it had really just begun.

There in the stable under the star, those wise men first laid human eyes on holy flesh. They encountered God on earth. They must have known in their hearts the magnitude of the moment. When they entered the place where the little Boy lay, they fell down and worshiped Him. I wonder how long it took for them to compose themselves in the presence of such greatness, even though His majesty was small enough to hold in one hand.

The radiant star they had followed as they traveled to see Him must have vanished from their memories when they looked into the tiny face in the manger. In fact, in this story of the Saviors birth, there really is only one Starand His name is Jesus. I believe that He is the Star of the great drama called history. I believe that, without Him, life is missing its focal point. Without Him, the paths we travel on during our years here are rocky and slippery, our days are dark and empty. He is not only the One we worship; He is the One we follow. He is the only One we can trust to lead us, the only One worth walking behind.

I have walked behind this Star for years, following Him day by day on the most adventurous and amazing journey. This Christmas, I would like to share with you some of the stories from a lifetime spent following Him. So I hope youll make yourself a cup of hot chocolate and curl up by the fire. Take time to enjoy one mans Christmas memories and make some of your own. And in the midst of the hustle and the bustle and the hurry of the season, dont forget to look upand follow the Star.