Rosie’s Christmas Star

Ever since Rosie first remembered Pawpaw reading her the Christmas story from “the mostest holiest Bible,” she’d been looking oh‑so forward to what she called her “firstest Christmas.”

And doesn’t heaven know it.

She’d been pinking up everything — whatever they’d let her turn a warm rosy color, she’d wave her tiny hands and pink it but good. And even though it had happened before, she stood too close to a heavenly wall and sploosh! Rosie was indeed rosy then.

It took a couple of nanny angels and lots of wiggles and giggles to depink and un‑rosy her. Most of those giggles came from her sisters.

Well, as usual, Gracie had enough of that and too much. So she set Rosie at the end of the heavens and said, “Sit right here, miss too‑much angel, and watch for Christmas.”

Luna twirled her around. “And let us know when it’s coming!”

Rosie knew what her sisters meant. She probably shouldn’t have made the First Heavenly Choir’s Christmas robes pink… again. So her little feet dangled off the Edge of Forever as she wondered what color comfort and joy was… or if figgy pudding was only for figgies. And other such nonsenses.

So she sat there, dreaming of days, wondering about Christmases past and if they were still around somewheres.

She looked down at Pawpaw… it was almost Thankyou Giving, so he didn’t have any “Christmas decoredations” out yet. She’d have to fixes that next time she visited.

Rosie dreamed of baby Jesus — so cute, so precious. Only now was she figuring out that her Jesus had been that baby. And her hearts melted, oh so wonderful. She kicked her tiny feet and opened her arms, pinking the nothings and the nowheres with all her soul.

And she wrapped it all up, imagining it was baby Jesus, and hugged him so! But then she thought… why imaginings?

She popped up and zipped straight to Jesus Himself! And just like that — this tiny wonder‑thunder, this little lightning‑spark — gave Him the warmest of all hugs.

And Jesus didn’t mind one bit… not at all… even though His white robes were now a distinct shade of warm rosy‑pink… and maybe a bit more. And that made Rosie’s hearts smile, and Jesus smile, and all heaven smile… even the grumpy angels would have had to smile, had there been any.

So Raphael kindly detached the clinging little angel so everyone else could have hugs too.

Well, that must have taught Rosie something, because after that she was much less inclined to not improvisationally, extemporaneously unpremeditate her rosy‑pinking of things… well, mostly.

When Gracie found out what Rosie had finished “done‑ing,” she almost fell out of heaven with laughter. And when Luna heard it from Gracie, she laughed too. And then Luna whirled and twirled, and of course made sure to spin Rosie too.

After Gracie and Luna got their turn huggings of Jesus, they decided something must be done. So Gracie found the mostest holiest Bible and read them the first Christmas, imitating Pawpaw’s voice there and here.

Then she told of the wisest men, and the Christmas star, and the Bethlehem… even though they weren’t too sure where that was. And Rosie thought all was well and good and Christmassy… until she thought about that star.

Where was that star?
The wisest men could be found — they were in heaven with them somewhere about.
But where was that star?

So when Gracie finished reading, Rosie went to the Edge of Forever and looked far down below to the stars above.

And there were so many stars — look at them all!

Much more than she could count.
Still, she tried, but there were too many of them.
So she tried counting just the big ones.
And they were oh so big!
And still too many besides.

“Oh!” she thought. “Where is that Christmas star?”

After looking for a while, she could hold it in no longer and rushed to find the wisest men of the first Christmas. After some interrogation, the most understanding of them said to her, “Dear little Rosie, it was a miracle, and miracles are always there when you need them.”

Although they comforted her with many wise words, these were the only ones that clung to her insides and would not let go:
Miracles are always there when you need them.

So Rosie looked out over the Edge of Forever with new eyes, searching for a Christmas miracle instead of just a star. And she determined within herself that it must be out there somewhere, somewhere lost in all those too‑many stars.

Well, Thankyou Giving came and passed, and the three little cherubs helped decorate Pawpaw’s little place for the Christmas season. And that night, Rosie went outside and looked up at the stars from below.

“Above and below, and I still do not see that star! Oh star, appear to me, wherever you are!”
But if it heard, it didn’t listen.

So from heaven above or earth below, Rosie searched the heavens, finding and seeing many wonders. And she realized that God had made so many things, and so big, and so full of wonder. And… she cried.
“Why is God so good to us? And we are so little?”

And God heard, because He always does.

It was the night before Christmas Eve, when they were about to leave Pawpaw’s and go back to glory, that Rosie went outside and looked up. If that miracle were to happen, she thought, it must be now.

“Oh star, wherever you are, it’s time to miracle now!”

And that was when she realized that the star showed the way to baby Jesus. That was the miracle — that was what the star was all about. But Jesus wasn’t a baby anymore; that was a long, long, and longer time ago.

And then she heard a whisper deep inside: your little heart shines just as far.

And little Rosie — our dear little Rosie — rose into the sky, spread wide her arms, and shone just as bright as she could, pointing her light with all her might to Jesus.

Gracie and Luna ran out to see the Christmas Star.

And when Gracie and Luna saw their sister shining bright, they finished Rosie’s song.

And her sisters rose up to join her,
so there would be three Christmas stars that night.

Then Luna whispered to Gracie,
“Why does she always sing hearts
when she knows she only has one?”

Gracie smiled.
“Because she’s an Angel of Love —
she sings with her heart,
and for our hearts too.”

Luna brightened.
“Oh! That’s why I pirouette!
I caché and plié for Pawpaw and for all the pawpaws,
and for all of you too!”

Gracie nodded softly.
“Yes, Luna.
For it is your spirit that spins and twirls
that captures heaven’s attention.
That’s why they bend down and listen.
For your moonbeams sing of joy and delight,
your luminous present to Christmas nights.”

So Pawpaw looked up into the sky
and saw three Christmas stars
shining, glimmering,
and pointing the way to Jesus.

No better birthday present
could a grandpa have.

And so Pawpaw cried,
“Shine, shine on,
my dear little granddaughters of joys —
Grandangels of Faith, Hope, and Love!”

And so they did.

Ladies Grace, Luna, and Rose