Devotionals

The Star in the Window

by Anne Adams
07/02/26
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Sally paused to let little Tony catch up and as they continued their walk she begin to think. Was this really the day before Christmas? Was it really just a few weeks since that vicious enemy attack on Pearl Harbor – the event that changed everything? One immediate reality was that her husband, already in the Army, was immediately deployed and now she wasn’t even sure where he was. But life continued and so she decided to begin her new life and be a good parent for Tony.

Now, as they strolled through their neighborhood, Sally and Tony passed houses decked out for Christmas, their windows aglow with colored lights. Several homes had blue stars in their window – indicating a member of that household was in service but Tony didn’t seem to notice because they had one in their window. However, then they came to something different. Tony pointed where there in the window amid the decorations there was a placard bearing a single gold star. “Mommy, we have a blue star in our window and you said that meant Daddy was off at war. Lots of people have them. But why is the star in that window gold?”

 Sally sighed. Of course the gold star indicated a death in combat but how do you explain that to a six year old? Still she tried, saying that someone in that home had given their life for their country and to her surprise Tony seemed to accept her explanation. 

 Finally they reached the end of their street where there was just an open field with no street lights, and the only illumination was from the twinkling stars dusted over the dark sky above them. One far off star was particularly bright, and the boy stood for a few seconds looking up at it. Then he smiled and pointed.

 “Look, Mommy, it’s like you told me – those people with gold stars in the window loved their country enough to send their son to die.  That’s like God – he loved the world and sent his Son to die – and he has a star in his window.”

 God’s gift at Christmas – himself.