Follow the Star: Christmas Stories That Changed My Life

\ \ Follow the Star\ \ \ \ Christmas Stories That Changed My Life\ \ \ \ By T. D. Jakes\ \ \ G. P. Putnam's Sons\ \ \ \ Copyright © 2003\ \ T. D. Jakes\ All right reserved.\ \ \ ISBN: 0-399-15133-8\ \ \ \ \ \ Chapter One\ \ \ Life Is \ a Journey \ \ * * *\ \ We were five passengers making our\ Christmastime road trip in a fume-filled,\ rust-covered, partially broken\ rendition of a family car. My parents bounced along the\ highway on the front seat, while all three children-my\ brother, my sister, and I-were piled up in the back,\ wrestling and tussling, giggling and complaining. The\ laughter and teasing was always interrupted by someone's\ squealing and the clamor always reached its\ high point when my brother pinched my sister and I,\ the baby of the family, began to whine because I was\ hungry.\ The West Virginia mountains through which we\ drove were beautiful but often perilous. With my nose\ pressed against the car window (during those rare moments\ when I did not have to sit in the middle of the\ backseat), I saw the winding roads, laced with snow and\ sleet, and ice hanging from mountain peaks like stalagmites\ in a cave. It looked like a winter wonderland. But\ while the beauty awed my mother, the clutter of cars and\ the twists in the road aggravated my father. The traffic\ and difficult driving conditions were enough to drive a\ sane man to the edge of exasperation.\ \ Together, my mother and father played a symphony\ of diverse moods and attitudes and comments that\ soared toward a crescendo as the journey continued-if\ you know what I mean. How well I recall those memorable\ experiences when we were all there on the highway,\ trying to get to our destination and trapped in\ traffic. Even worse, we were usually in a hurry and did\ not have much gas. Add to that the fact that my father\ had a tendency to get lost and would rather have danced\ naked in a roaring fire than admit it. And to top it off,\ my precious mother, God rest her soul, had a nasty habit\ of informing him that he was lost. Ah yes, it was always\ quite a trip.\ \ If my father had only consulted a map, we would\ have been able to get where we were going with much\ less angst. But left to his instincts (and his unwillingness\ to ask for directions), we often ended up traveling\ away from our goal instead of toward it! What started\ out as a pleasant trip soon ended up wrought with stress\ and tensions as time passed and the place we were trying\ to reach eluded us. As I remember, usually just about\ the time the harsh reality that we were not accomplishing\ our goal set in, I had to-well, you know-I had\ to go; and that didn't help the situation at all!\ Holidays should be a joyful time and family outings\ should be fun, but when you are trying to get somewhere\ in a hurry on a slick road, surrounded by many\ drivers, the trip can be quite stressful. My parents were\ not alone in their longing for holiday happiness. Millions\ of other people were seeking it too. (I know because\ we saw them on the highway!) Some were singing\ Christmas carols and some were sullen. Some were\ sober and some were not. Some, like we, were rushing\ to their destination so that when they arrived, they\ could turn around and rush home.\ At any point along the way, my father could have\ looked at a map or done what he inevitably did, which\ was to finally ask someone at a gas station, "Is this the\ road to [wherever]? How much farther do we need to\ go to get there?" He could have done that, but he rarely\ did-not until tempers were flaring, frustrations were\ mounting, and patience was wearing thin.\ \ Now that I am grown and have children of my own,\ I see that, like my childhood car trips, life is really just\ a journey too. I find myself wanting to veer off of the\ mangled, tangled traffic jam called life, stop at a spiritual\ gas station, and echo my father's questions: "How\ far do I have to go get there? Am I on the right road?\ Shouldn't I have been farther than I am now?" I could\ go on and on and on; I have a thousand questions to ask\ the Lord about the journey.\ A person really doesn't have to live too long to realize\ that life is a journey. Along our way, we often find\ that the weather can be inclement and the conditions\ around us unfavorable. At times, the hustle and bustle\ can be overwhelming, and the noises of daily living can\ drown out our own thoughts. Somebody's radio is blasting,\ horns are honking, and people are traveling in all\ modes of transportation in every direction with every\ conceivable expression on their faces. Like the twisted\ highways of many large metropolises, life is filled with\ exit ramps and entrance ramps, merging traffic, and\ cautions. If that is not enough, there are the dangerous\ accidents, slick spots, and incessant road-rage drivers\ who make the journey even more perilous. It also seems\ like everyone is speeding, so we have to go faster and\ faster just to keep from getting run over! The worst\ part is that the clock is ticking while we journey, and we\ are in a race where every second counts. We have only\ a certain amount of time to reach our destination, and\ each day we live is a day we will never see again.\ Given the choice, I think many of us would park our\ vehicles under a nice shade tree at a rest stop, if that were\ possible, and avoid the chaos all together. You know as\ well as I do that, in reality, we do not have the option\ to withdraw from the rat race. Like it or not, as long as\ we live, we find ourselves seemingly predestined to\ travel somewhere. Some will go forward, some will be\ stuck in reverse, and some will seem to go around and\ around and around like a little puppy chasing his tail.\ \ But unlike a road trip, life's journey does not come\ with explicit directions of which way to go, when to\ turn, and how long it will take us to get there. It does\ not even come with a globe that will allow us to see the\ big picture! All of us do not have the same purposes and\ the same goals. While we want to go to heaven, ultimately,\ we will spend our time on this earth in as many\ different ways as there are stars in the sky. Some will\ marry and some will stay single all of their lives. Some\ will raise children and some will not. Some will enter\ into ministry and some will pursue other careers. Some\ will work from the left side of their brain and some\ from the right. Some will educate themselves and\ some will excel in other arenas. Some will travel the\ same highway for a season but take different exits. Yes,\ we are all on the journey, but each of us has his own\ course to run.\ The apostle Paul said to Timothy, "I have finished\ my course," and that must be your focus too. To finish\ the course set before you-not your father's course,\ not your best friend's course, not anybody else's course,\ but yours.\ I think I know what you'd like to ask. You may be\ wondering how you can find your way through the maze\ of life and keep moving toward your purpose? The answer\ is actually quite simple, and it is the same for all of\ us. We have to follow our Guide, like the wise men did\ in ancient days as they pursued the Baby Jesus. We simply\ have to follow the Star.\ \ Where is the Star? Oh, it is not in the sky as it was\ for them. The Star we follow is Jesus, and if we let Him,\ He will live inside of us and guide us toward our destination.\ There is no getting off the road of life and asking for\ directions. You can ask directions from your minister or\ spiritual advisor. You can consult the only map we have\ and the only one we need-the Word of the Lord. But\ the best compass you have is the Spirit that dwells\ within you. It will get you through the traffic, teach you\ when to merge, advise you of your speed, and get you to\ the right place at the right time. Even though our family\ trips were often longer than they needed to be, more\ stressful than was necessary, and a bit grating on the\ nerves, I simply cannot remember a single time when\ we didn't get where we were trying to go! And the same\ is true for your life. My prayer for you is that you would\ know in your heart, be at rest in your mind, and get settled\ in your spirit, that God knows exactly how to get\ you there too-wherever your "there" is.\ This holiday season is just one stop on a long journey\ toward an undisclosed destination. Much of what\ you will face in your life is currently hidden from your\ view. No mirrors, windshields, or navigational devices\ will let you see everything that awaits you ahead. But remember\ that as you travel, if you have a little faith in the\ trunk and a little gas in the tank, you will eventually get\ there. I'd be willing to bet that you'll like what you see\ when you arrive.\ Just one more word: Enjoy those whom God has\ given you to accompany you on the journey of your life.\ Families are never perfect, and if you could ask my parents,\ they would tell you that families are full of challenges\ and aggravations. But you know what? The people\ with whom we share childhood memories, DNA,\ and a last name are a real blessing. Take courage, fill up\ your tank, drive forward, and enjoy the trip. You are on\ the ride of a lifetime. When in doubt, look up; when\ troubled, looked within; and when in darkness, always,\ always follow the Star.\ May your happy holidays begin right now.\ \ \ \ Chapter Two\ \ \ Come, Ye \ Thankful People \ \ \ * * * \ \ There are certain holidays people cannot \ ignore, and Christmas is one of them. \ Retailers clamor for our attention with \ signs and banners and decorations more extravagant \ than ever before. Office parties and open houses kick \ into full swing, while children nearly burst with excitement \ over their upcoming holidays. Fast-food restaurants \ replace their paper goods with holiday-themed \ napkins and cups, and some people even put wreaths on \ their cars. Inevitably, a woman sporting Christmas ornament \ earrings (or a man with a tie that plays "Jingle \ Bells") will show up in your field of vision. On top of \ all that, even if you wanted to take a break and lose \ yourself in your regular television schedule, you \ couldn't-because most of the shows are preempted by \ holiday movies and specials! And then, of course, to be \ downright practical, if you checked your calendar you \ would see "Christmas Day" printed on the page or the \ square for December 25. \ See what I mean? Whether or not a person celebrates\ Christmas, its existence is undeniable.\ \ Thanksgiving, on the other hand, could almost slide\ by with hardly a mention. It could just fall right off the\ calendar and some people would barely notice. Now, I\ realize that part of the issue with Thanksgiving is that\ it does not occur on the same day every year. At the same\ time, though, our commercial culture garners little\ profit from that particular holiday, so it gets less public\ hype. Level with me: have you ever gotten a Thanksgiving\ present? Oh, I know that turkey sales peak at\ Thanksgiving. No doubt sweet potato revenues increase;\ green beans and ready-made graham cracker\ crusts probably end up in the black as well. But beyond\ the grocery stores, nobody really benefits from Thanksgiving\ financially except maybe some florists or other\ little gift shops that sell fall decorations.\ On second thought, someone does benefit from\ Thanksgiving: you. You do, and I do, and so do a whole\ host of praising people who know the value and the\ power of gratitude. For starters, gratitude reminds us\ that we are not self-sufficient. Being thankful shifts our\ focus away from our needs and onto our blessings; it\ turns our hearts away from ourselves and onto the Lord,\ Who is the Giver of every good and perfect gift. I tell\ you that He is the source of every blessing, large and\ small. All good things come to us from His hand-the\ beauty of a sunrise, the discipline of a job to do, the joy\ of having a friend. I could write all day about His goodness,\ but I suspect you have your very own list of benefits.\ The Bible says that He gives us all things richly to\ enjoy, and being thankful causes the demons of lack to\ flee and praise to spring forth from the core of our\ being.\ \ Expressing our gratitude also keeps us humble. It's\ hard to be proud when you are thanking God from a\ place of sincerity. Oh yes, it is difficult indeed to be arrogant\ or haughty when you are praising Him for rescuing\ you from a desperate situation or for working a\ miracle in your life. When He does for you what you\ cannot do for yourself-and what no other human\ being is able to do for you-well, that kind of love provokes\ a response of truly humble thanksgiving. Because\ God is so good, humility has its own blessings. For instance,\ the Bible says, in several places, that God resists\ the proud or the scornful but that He gives grace to the\ humble. Now I don't know about you, but I cannot\ imagine anyone not needing all the grace they can get!\ \ But like humility, the giving of thanks doesn't always\ come naturally. Sometimes we have to pinch ourselves\ and be reminded to be thankful. We have to be mindful\ of our expressions of gratitude, just as we have to be\ mindful of the observance of Thanksgiving Day. We\ have to make an effort to stay grounded in gratitude so\ that the swirl of Christmas preparations will not pick\ us up and carry us away! I even know people who will\ not think of beginning to decorate for Christmas before\ Thanksgiving because they are so determined that they\ and their loved ones are going to stop on that day and\ at the very least, breathe a grateful prayer.\ \ Our family has always been that way For years, we\ went to church on Thanksgiving morning, choosing to\ give God His praise before we went home to stuff ourselves\ with turkey and dressing and cranberry sauce and\ sweet potato pie. There was something so special about\ those services-special enough that the church members\ were willing to excuse themselves from holiday visitors\ and press through the peer pressure of hungry\ families and gather in the sanctuary for a few glorious\ moments. I can still see the bright, smiling faces of the\ men and women, boys and girls who joined together to\ celebrate God's goodness on those cool, crisp mornings,\ when a few remaining fall leaves clung to the tree\ branches and caused the West Virginia mountains to\ glow like the embers of a bonfire. When it came to material\ possessions, we did not have as much as some\ people, but oh my, were we ever blessed! When we sang\ God's praises, they bellowed from the bottom of our\ hearts, and when we said, "Thank You, Lord!" we meant\ it with every fiber of our beings.\ Because life can be difficult for all of us at times, you\ may be weathering your own personal storms right now.\ Perhaps there is a trouble in your family, or maybe you\ are in such internal conflict that the turmoil is churning\ within your very soul. Can I tell you something that\ will help you? Praise through the pain. Determine that\ you will not be silent and that there is no circumstance\ on earth mighty enough to keep you from praising your\ Father. If you struggle at first, look for the small, everyday\ blessings.\ Continues...\ \ \ \ \ \ \ Excerpted from Follow the Star\ by T. D. Jakes\ Copyright © 2003 by T. D. Jakes.\ Excerpted by permission.\ All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.\ Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.\ \ \

Introduction11Life Is a Journey72Come, Ye Thankful People193Exceedingly Abundantly294You Have His Word on It435Night-Lights556Angels Watching Over Me, My Lord697Bringing in the Sheaves798Burning Down the Old School899Be Careful What You Wish For10110Little Things11311A Little Child Shall Lead Them12512God's Timing Is Perfect13513Don't Wait Too Late14714God Always Has a Plan15715God Works with Wood16916Let It Go17917Back to the Future18918'Tis the Season19919The Gift That Keeps on Giving21120The Gift Remains221

\ From Barnes & NobleIn the holiday hoopla, family gatherings, and exchanging of presents, we sometimes lose a sense of the true meaning of Christmas. In Follow the Star, Bishop T. D. Jakes recounts a personal journey that taught him the miracle behind the holiday. Sharing family stories, he describes how life's worst hardships laid him open for God's greatest gift.\ \ \ \ \ BookpageThis thoughtful book is the perfect way to relax and remember the reason for the season.\ \ \ Library JournalA best-selling author, advocate for women's issues, and longtime pastor of the Potter's House in Dallas, Bishop Jakes (God's Leading Lady) lets us in on the true meaning of Christmas. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.\ \