rum-pa-pum-pum

one morning last week i was wiping the toast crumbs off the kitchen counter, listening to my new josh groban Christmas cd. i was cleaning away when the familiar song "the little drummer boy," which i have heard a million times, began to play. the song opened with the rhythmic sound of a single acoustic guitar, bright and harmonic. and then in came josh groban's voice. "oh, yes, this is beautiful." i thought to myself, wiping away.

but something about the second verse got to me. it was partly the percussion, the swell of the strings and the background vocals that echoed josh groban's voice. but more than that, it was the words. listen to these words.

"little baby (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
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?


the little boy is acknowledging that he is poor, that he has nothing fit to give a king. so he asks the newborn savior if he can play his drum for him. he knew the gift wasn't fit for the king, but he brought it anyway! he brought his simplest gift and gave it to Jesus!

these are the thoughts that were swirling aroung in my brain as i rotely cleaned up breakfast. and then, after the words, "shall i play for you on my drum?," there is a massive key change, and a full orchestra joins in, raising chills on my skin. i set down my sponge. and josh groban's other-worldly voice enters and literally soars,

"i play my drum for him,
so to honor him!"

that's where i lost it. "so to honor him."

as far as having gifts worthy to lay before the King, like the little drummer boy,"i have no gift to bring." maybe that's why i was relating so much to this unknown little boy who drums. because so much of my life feels ordinary and mundane right now. it consists largely of the everyday. yet i long to be a person who honors Him.

after i finished cleaning up the kitchen, i had planned to go running. impassioned by the fresh truth of this familiar song, i wanted to run hard and well--i wanted to run my best. "can i run fast for You?(step-step-a-step-step)"

the song ends by saying:

"i played my best for him (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
then he smiled at me, (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
me and my drum."

it was pouring rain as i ran. my clothing clung to my body like a sopping, second layer of skin. i have rarely felt so alive.

and i wonder, did he look down and smile at me?

(there is no way anyone can write about a song and do it justice. you simply have to hear it. i have seen josh groban's Christmas cd at starbucks and borders, if you want to hear it for yourself.)