Carol of the Drum

As an avid marching band and Drum Corps fan, any song that recognizes drums is bound to become of a favorite of mine. But one particular song, at this particular time of year, has really had an impact on me. The song is called Carol of the Drum.

Over the past few weeks I have heard different versions of that song played, over and over again, on the radio. It is more popularly known by a more familiar title, The Little Drummer Boy. The song and the story have become a holiday classic. Although not based on scripture, we can learn an important lesson from this story.

“He was a poor boy too . . . he had no gifts to bring”. In the story the wise men brought gold frankincense and myrrh, to the babe in Bethlehem, but the drummer boy had only his drum. “Shall I play for you?” he inquired of the Christ child.

Here is the lesson in that story: There is something else in life that beats like a drum. But it isn’t a musical instrument, it’s the human heart.

We don’t need fine gifts to bring to the Savior’s feet, what we really need to give Him is our hearts. The greatest gift we have to give we may not have even given yet. We can give our hearts to Heaven.

We can give our heart to God by giving our hearts to each other. Give up the bitterness, give up the hate.

We truly can mend the broken fences between brothers and sisters, fathers, mothers, neighbors friends, husbands and wives.

Recently, I shared the drummer boy story and the following poem in a Christmas program during sacrament meeting.

True Gift of Christmas

Christmas is lying awake at night
Wondering what will be found in the morning light.

Eyes are bright at the glow of the tree
How many presents are there for me?

I open them all and what do I find?
Something is missing in the pile of mine.

That wonderful feeling I had last night
Is gone, now I opened every present in sight.

Is this the way it was meant to be?
Or is it because I’m just thinking of me?

The Christmas season is for gifts and for sharing,
But the real joy comes from love and from caring.

I don’t need a Christmas tomorrow to bring
The true gift of Christmas the birth of a King!

It's never too early or too late to discover the true meaning of Christmas. What Christmas means to us is entirely determined upon what Christ means to us.