Outside, Seamore Seahorse swam, gazing up at the stars. It was nearly Christmas.
“What are you doing?” Sunny Starfish asked as she walked to his backyard fence.
“I was wondering if we could still see the Christmas star,” Seamore replied.
“What Christmas star?” Sunny asked.
“You know, the bright star that the wise men followed to find Jesus,” he answered.
“I never thought about it,” said Sunny.
“There was something special about that star. Maybe it is still there,” Seamore added. “Wouldn’t it be cool if we could find it?”
“I guess so,” Sunny answered.
“Can I borrow the telescope that I gave you for your birthday?” Seamore asked. “I’m going to stay up all night to look for the star.”
“How do you know where to look for it?” Sunny asked.
“I’m going to the library,” Seamore said.
“The library?” Sunny repeated, puzzled.
“The song says: ‘They look it up,” Seamore replied.
“What song?” Sunny asked.
“The First Noel,” Seamore said.
“Oh,” Sunny replied. “But I think it said, “They look-ed up and saw a star ….”
“That’s what I said,” Seamore replied, “they look it up.”
“No! No! No!” corrected Sunny. “L-O-O-K-E-D,” she spelled.
“Huh?” Seamore said, scratching his head.
“‘E-D,’” as in past tense,” explained Sunny, “not I-T.”
“They look-ed up?” Seamore said. “That doesn’t make sense.”
“Yes, it does,” Sunny replied. “It helps the words fit with the music.”
“I don’t get it,” Seamore shrugged.
“Just forget it,” Sunny said, throwing up her hands.
“I’m trying. You’re the one making such a big deal out of it,” Seamore chuckled. “I’ll just go to the library and check out some books on stars.”
That night, Seamore sat in his room with books scattered on the floor. He was peering through Sunny’s telescope, searching for the Christmas star. It was getting very late, and he was getting very sleepy.
“I’ve got to stay awake,” he thought. “Maybe I’ll try doing jumping jacks on my bed.”
“Stop jumping on your bed. You’re shaking the whole house,” his mom called after a few minutes.
Seamore went back to looking through the telescope, but his eyes kept closing. “A brisk jog will wake me up,” he thought.
He was only a few steps into the yard when his mother called out, “Seamore, get back inside the house this instant. You’ll catch a cold from the night air.”
Next, Seamore tried to drink as many sodas as he could, but his mother scolded, “You’ll get a stomachache.”
Seamore went to his room and turned up the volume on his stereo.
“Turn that radio down before you wake up the neighborhood,” his mom yelled.
Seamore tried hard to stay awake, but he soon nodded off, leaning against the telescope.
The next Sunday, Pastor Porpoise overheard Seamore complaining, “I’m sure the Christmas star is still there, but now I’ll have to wait another whole year to see it.”
“You’re right,” Pastor Porpoise smiled. “The Christmas star still shines bright and points people to Jesus. But you don’t have to wait until next year.”
“I don’t?” Seamore asked, scratching his head.
“No, it’s possible to see the star shining all night long and even during the day,” Pastor Porpoise said. “You see, the Christmas star is inside each of us. It shines whenever we do something kind for others and tell them about God’s love. Doing good things points others to Jesus and helps show them the way.”
(Editor’s note: Sand Dollar Cove is a series of children’s stories that appeared in The Baptist Courier from 2000-2006.)
Read more of the Cove Kids’ adventures in the new “Sand Dollar Cove: Rediscovered!” book published by Courier Publishing. Available now — in time for Christmas gifts for kids and grandkids — from BarnesandNoble.com and Amazon.com, or by calling 864-232-8736. For more information, visit CourierPublishing.com.