As a young child I remember the Christmas song, "Little Drummer Boy". I used to love how we sang pa rum pum pum pum, over and over. It caught my attention. But as I got older and learned to listen to the words/lyrics of the song, I became to enjoy this song so much more. Do you ever really think about the words or are you so ready to sing the pa rum pum pum pum parts you quickly pass over them?
For those not familiar or it has been awhile since you really listened, the song tells of a little boy who plays a drum. Everyone is going to see the new king and they need to take a gift.
What gift do you take to a king? Do you sell what you own to buy the perfect gift? Do find out what others are taking and try to take something better? You want your gift to stand out and be remembered, right? You want it to be different than what everyone else brought. Oh, did I mention, the little boy is labeled poor. Did you catch the three lettered word at the end of that line? The word is "too". You see the king was poor too. How can that be? All kings are born with wealth. They will never have a need that can't be bought or filled. But you see, the king they are going to see was not born into a family of wealth. They were young and poor. The Roman government taxed them beyond anything we could ever imagine. Life was difficult for them.
The little boy in this story has two choices: To go and take what he has, which is only a drum. Or to stay home and never go at all.
He chooses to go. He asks if he can play a song on his drum. The baby's mother says yes and you can feel as if time stops at that moment. Can't you feel all eyes on him! A room full of judgement. A room filled with people proud of what they brought and everyone can see their gift is the best. The whispers, oh the whispers. And then in enters a small child who quietly asks if he can play a song. Can you even imagine. A song, of all things. Where is the extravagance in that? I am sure his appearance tells the story that this is all he has to offer. Even the animals are turning their heads and stop what they are doing to listen to this new, yet beautiful sound. He could play forever, they wouldn't care. The conversations have long since stopped, and every one looks to see him play. Then it happens. The baby, the King, which all this is for, smiles. Doesn't your heart just melt. For you see that is who the song was for. And it pleased the king. The only one that it mattered to. I can feel the little boy's heart swell with a good sense of pride. The kind of pride, that says I did my best and that is all I could ever do. It doesn't matter what everyone else thinks. It doesn't matter what everyone else brought. It doesn't matter whether I was rich or poor, I did my best and that was more than enough.
At this point, I am assuming you are wondering why I made such a deal about a song that only lasts for about 3 or 4 minutes and then we move to another one. It is a song, and not a story recorded in scripture. It is a story that is fiction. We have never heard that a boy played a drum for Jesus. Sometimes when I hear the song, I feel he is there by himself because he was embarrassed by his small gift and waited till everyone else left or maybe there were others since the first verse tells us "they" tell him to come, so they are going to see the king too. Either way, you would need to ask the writer of the song to know for sure. But you see, the message in that song for me, goes deeper and way past a single night in a barn.
We are all the little drummer boy. We all come from different backgrounds and different "statuses". We all have different abilities. Yet, if we heard the King was coming, what would we bring? Would we do our best or would we try to impress? Would we go and stand out, because our gift was different? Or would we stay home?
We have been given things to help others. Do you think when that little boy learned how to play the drum, he ever fathomed he would play for a king? When we go through experiences that seem to have no meaning, keep in mind, the King may need you to share this experience or the advice you can now give with someone going through the same thing. We are given gifts that only we can use. They are custom made for us. Maybe you are good with your hands and make wooden things or can fix anything that breaks. Maybe you are able to look at a shelf of ingredients and put together a meal that a family that is struggling could use and enjoy. Maybe you have the gift to listen. Someone out there is needing to share what is going on in their life and they don't want you to fix it, they just want you to listen without judging. Maybe you have the gift of words. Maybe someone right now could use a note of encouragement to get through this season in their life. Maybe you have a gift for children. You know of a busy couple who would love to have just one evening with each other to have a nice dinner, and be able to eat it before it gets cold. Or maybe they need to get some shopping done. You could love on their little ones and help them by babysitting for one evening. Maybe you have been gifted in finances. You are able to invest wisely and there is someone you know, that is struggling with the idea of a budget in the coming year, you could give them some helpful ideas or mentor them. Or maybe you need to write a check to help pay someone's heating bill for the next three cold winter months. If it is a gift from God, He will give you the nudge to use it and use it wisely. Sadly some people take advantage of others this time of year. If God is leading, it will not be wrong. I could keep listing ideas. You get my point. My point is our gifts are not wrapped in pretty paper and tins of gold. They are placed inside us and are called to be used at the appointed time. Also, the gifts being taken in our story were to honor the new born king. Do we use our gifts in ways that still honor him?
Or you can choose the second choice. You can do nothing. That is an option. But some day and that day is getting closer with each passing day, that same baby who grew into a man, will look you in the face and ask what did you do with the gifts I gave you? After you speak, don't you too, want to see a smile on his face? I know I do!
If this story were true, we know that God would have given the little boy the ability to play a drum. He chose wisely. He chose to use the gift. The only gift he had. He didn't stay home till the perfect idea came or money was saved. If he had, he would have missed the visit with the king. We are asked to do the same. Sadly, some wait to use their gifts until they feel others will enjoy it. Or until it makes sense and they win the praise of man. But you see, just as in the song, it was never about others. It was about a little boy giving all he had no matter the size and giving it the best he could that mattered. That is really all that God cares about. He cares what you think, what you do and what you say. He knows your story, he is the author of it! You can't surprise Him. He will never say, "didn't see that one coming". We too can miss the visit, if we wait for the right time. Today is the right time. Don't wait, we are not promised tomorrow! So, I will end my post as I started it: If asked to bring a gift for a king to honor him, what would you bring?
Enjoy this week. Time is quickly passing. We will soon be celebrating His birth. Be looking for ways to share your gift. No matter how unimportant you may feel it is. It is important to Him, or He would have never given it to you. And it is perfectly fine, if you spend the rest of the day humming pa rum pum pum pum. I know I will. See you next week!
****I must share this side note. Many of you who read each week, do not know how this blog works for me, so I will share it briefly. I start to pray specifically for an idea to write about in the beginning of the week. Sometimes I hear silence. Sometimes it is many thoughts. Others, I am torn between two. So, I will keep praying for discernment as the weeks moves along. Come Thursday, I start to stick with one thought. A very brief thought or phrase. I will sit down at the keyboard and ask the Lord to write His words with my fingers. I will usually start typing for about an hour. I rarely make changes. Then come late Thursday afternoon or Friday morning, I read over it and ask the Lord to delete or add according to his purpose and will for the week's post. I have already last minute gone with plan b. So, I am open to change for I firmly believe this post is for you all. God knows what you are experiencing and what you need to read each week. I have my private moments with God, this is a much more public moment, that I am humbled and honored to do it. Anyway, the reason I share all this today and it has made my post way too long, but it is extremely important. Our God is a God of personal detail. When you are in His will and trusting him, He shows himself in ways that make our knees give out and our breath to be held. Today, while doing my final read through before hitting publish, I asked one final time, "Is this the right message for today? Do I need to change it? Will it make sense? Did I miss anything?" His response.....the radio that has been quietly playing in our kitchen since early this morning, was silent, it was between songs, when all of a sudden, my favorite version on the song, "Little Drummer Boy" started to play. Tears filled my eyes and I again was humbled by the fact I get to have breath each day and serve a God who cares so much that among all the activity happening around me today in the world, He had my song(our song), play exactly when I needed to hear it! I haven't heard it in days. God is good all the time and I know this post is for someone(s) today that need to hear from him. He loves you and I will tell people that till the day He calls me home. He really loves you, just as you are. He will help you become the person he wants you to be. You can't do it on your own. That is why He seeks us first. Give him praise today! I know I am. Pa rum, pum, pum, pum.
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