I played my drum for him, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my best for him, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,
Then he smiled at me, pa rum pum pum pum
Me and my drum.
We know the melody, we know the story, we know the song. Yet do we remember the message?
The little drummer boy apologized, "I am a poor boy too, ...I have no gift to bring, …that's fit to give a king. Shall I play for you, ... on my drum?"
When the time comes, what will you bring? Will it be your prized possessions - the things you’ve accumulated over the years?
I think not. For these are not worthy. The car you drive, the riches you've accumulated and the money you’ve saved are insignificant in the overall scheme of things.
Will you bring your accomplishments, your awards, your trophies? I think not. For these are not worthy either. They are a testimony to a time long gone - mere memories of prior triumphs and successes.
Will you bring your great plans for the future? I think not. For these are not yet real. Ideas and dreams are only the seeds of what might someday exist.
So what's left of value you're asking yourself? The answer is simple.
Deep within the essence of who you are there's a sound, a vibration, an emanation that expresses life from every cell. It resonates in harmony with all living creatures - an inner voice ready to emerge as a vital heartbeat that inscribes a personal signature. The rhythm of life is a symphony - the expression of your soul revealed by the Conductor within.
With humility the Little Drummer Boy simply allowed his greatest gift to emerge. For his drumming, the rhythmic expression of his soul brought a smile to the face of the child in the manger. He set an example for all of us - revealing that one's greatest offering is the wondrous connection that's possible when we share the music of our hearts and the rhythms of our soul. It is the courage to stand before God in reverence knowing that what's inside is our most sacred gift.
So as you ponder this holiday season, why not decide what you would bring?
Yet don't save it for the day of reckoning. Your gift is to be shared now with those you love. It is your soul revealed through your personal expression - a unique and extraordinary rhythm that enables the gift of healing and inspires others to do the same. For when you share that which is deeply heartfelt, the Light within you glows brighter and your drumming resounds throughout the universe reverberating the true and ecstatic message revealed by the Little Drummer Boy.
As Mark Twain once said, "An ecstasy is a thing that will not go into words; it feels like music." It's time to let your unique rhythm and your precious melody emerge as an everlasting celebration of the Conductor within.
Then He will smile at you too, pa rum pum pum pum - Mind Over Matter!
© 2000 Barry Bittman,
MD all rights reserved