Celebrating the Little Drummer Boy in All of Us
One of my favorite Christmas carols is The Little Drummer Boy. Judging from how much it's been on the radio over the past week, I'm not the only one who likes it. Today when I listened to it for the umpteenth time this month, I pondered one of the messages in the song.
The Little Drummer Boy describes himself as a "poor boy." He laments that he has no gift to give the baby Jesus. I suppose he was comparing himself to the Magi and others who came bringing gifts of great value such as gold and spices. The Little Drummer Boy describes how he approached the baby with nothing but his drum because that's all he had. He then asked permission to play. Then, he says, "I played my drum for him, pa-rup-a-pum-pum. I played by best for him, pa-rup-a-pum-pum. … Then he smiled at me, pa-rup-a-pum-pum. Me and my drum."
Consider the similarities between Indies and the Little Drummer Boy.
1. We Don't Start Out With Lots of Money
Like the Little Drummer Boy, we are not flush with cash, at least not at the beginning of our businesses. In most instances, we can't borrow much money (and usually don't want to) and investors are nearly non-existent. But like the Little Drummer Boy, we still show up for the party. And what do we bring with us?
2. We Have Wonderful Talents and Gifts
Like the Little Drummer Boy, we have great talents and gifts to share. And just like him, we often don't appreciate them very much. But if we put our hearts and minds to it, we discover that we can combine our talents and gifts with our educational and career backgrounds to create something wonderful that enhances people's lives.
3. We Aren't Afraid to Use What We Have
It doesn't seem to have taken the Little Drummer Body very long to stop beating up on himself for being "poor," and simply start using what he had. "I played my drum for him. I played my best for him." As Indies, we too must play our drum to the best of our ability.
We must stop focusing on what we don't have, and start focusing on what we do have, and then use that to the max. If we do that, like the Little Drummer Boy, it's not long before we start connecting the dots to create a win/win situation for everyone.
I am always intrigued at how the Little Drummer Boy asked Mary for permission to play his drum for the baby Jesus. He didn't just start banging his drum like he was trying to show off or take over the party. Instead, he humbly requested permission to serve and then demonstrated that he was worth everyone's time. I love how, at the end of the song, the Little Drummer Boy was rewarded with the baby's mile. It seems that God Himself was pleased with his efforts. What could be better than that?
On this Sunday before Christmas Day, my prayer is that Indies from the four corners of the earth, representing all nations and spiritual beliefs, would closely examine their own unique talents and gifts.
Question: What are your unique talents, gifts and passions? Do you appreciate them? Or do you need frequent reminders about how wonderful you are?
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