Eunice, had arrived home from the church Christmas pageant with the song, Wise Men Still Seek Him, playing in her heart. She lived just a few blocks away from the church and walked home enjoying the clear starry sky. Each breath produced a mini-vapor cloud vanishing into the cold night air. Most of the time her eyes focused on each step, lest she stumble in the dark. But with one last look up at the sky before walking into the house, her gaze locked in on what seemed the most brilliant star she had ever seen. She wondered if it was really a star or maybe a satellite or a planet. But no, it was a single sparkling star. She wondered if perhaps it was the same star the wise men had followed to find the baby Jesus long ago.

Then she remembered long ago in her youth, summer nights, looking up at the sky and picking out the most beautiful sparkling star and wondering if her soul mate, at that very moment, would be looking at the same star.

Youthful fantasies had turned into down-to-earth reality when she finally married, then children arrived, and then divorced. Now single with children and grandchildren far away, looking up at the stars and thinking about a soul mate seemed silly.

Eunice changed into pajamas, yet still chilled from the brisk walk home, she prescribed the perfect warm-up–a cup of hot chocolate with a dash of cinnamon and marshmallows. Then, instead of sitting in her rocking chair, she wrapped herself in blanket and walked up to the attic room to sit on the cushioned window seat. With the oak trees bared of leaves, the window was perfect for viewing the stars before snow clouds came in from the west. Sitting in the dark, moonlight glowing through the window, she slowly sipped in the warmth of the creamy chocolate.

She began thinking about past Christmases with the children–the best days, just being a mom–tempted to feel sorry for herself for being all alone.

“You’re such an old lady, always thinking about the past” she scolded herself. “Please forgive me Father God. You’ve been so good to me.  Lord Jesus–you are what my heart was really longing for so long ago. Those summer nights when I gazed at the stars wishing for a perfect mate. Lord–you are what I really needed. You have saved me. You comfort me. You’re always with me.”

Eunice softly sang the song from the Christmas pageant, changing the words just a bit.

♪“Wise women still follow the savior…”♪

Continued with the next Eunice Vignette.

This story is a fictionalization. Although, historical events, people and places are used fictitiously, details of the time period have been portrayed as accurately as possible for authenticity. All characters are fictional unless otherwise noted.