Rum Pum Pum Pum
I recall many Christmases; some were really great and some were racked with grief and disappointment. The disappointment did not come from not getting the particular gift or not getting my wish list filled, but it was at the loss of a dear friend on Christmas Eve, and another on Christmas night. The problem is that those memories have a way of seeping into the great memories also. But I want to focus on the good times.
As I grew up in the sixties, we didn’t have the internet or Amazon, but we did have the Sears and Roebuck “Wish Book” that was packed full of everything that we saw advertised on TV during our Saturday morning cartoons. We were allowed to pick a few things that we just had to have, and my Mother would call Santa (Sears) and tell him what we wanted and give him the item number, and we would be set. And just like that it would be under the tree on Christmas morning.
A few weeks prior to Christmas day, my Dad would show up with the family Christmas tree. He and my older brothers, Charles and Glenn would help set it up in the living room right in front of the picture window. Daddy would let the tree sit a day, he said to let the limbs fall into place, I think he just wanted to make the experience last just a little longer.
The next night. In a house that smelled like a pine forest, which to this day when I smell that Christmas tree smell it takes me back to those nights when we all gathered in the living room and waited patiently for Daddy to put on the lights. Again, he and my Mother or oldest brother had that job. After he did that Mother would put on the garland sometimes with my Dads help and when she got older my sister Debrah would help. And when the lights and garland was in place Mother and Daddy would open the box of ornaments, and then they would referee as all five of us would get to put them on the tree, anywhere we saw fit. And after we finished our job, Daddy would divvy up the icicle or tinsel if you prefer. Then we again could put it on the tree and again wherever we wanted, and sometimes under the direction of our parents setting back watching. So, then the final piece of the tree was put into place, The Angle was placed in her spot at the top of the tree. The whole time this was done under the blanket of Christmas music being played on the record player in the background.
After the tree was perfect at least we thought it was perfect, Mother would fix us some hot chocolate with coco not the mix and marshmallows, Daddy would turn off the lights in the room, and the room would be lit from the tree and the reflecting off the hardwood floors. The Christmas albums would be playing softly, and we would just sit there for a while and absorb what we have accomplished. Not knowing or understanding how fortunate we were at that time. We would sit and listen to the songs, “O’ Come All Ye Faithful,” “Do You Hear What I Hear?” “Little Town in Bethlehem,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” and on and on and then my favorite “The Little Drummer Boy”
After hearing that song can you guess what made it to my Christmas list? Think for a second and if you said a drum, you would be correct. Now this was right up my Mother alley.
My Mother has a way of getting us not only what we wanted but also what we needed. She loved getting us toys that made a great symphony of noises. And my Dad was the one that helped Santa put everything together, and he made sure that if it needed batteries, it had an abundance of power to bring us a loud and wonderful Christmas. There was always the Christmas PJ’s, socks, underwear, shoes if we needed them. We didn’t need a new outfit that was coming a few months later at Easter.
As the weeks slowly went by, Christmas Eve, would finally make it and that was and is one of the best nights of the year. The smell of cakes, pies Chex mix and Christmas tree was one of the best memory makers that there could ever be. Mother let us watch as she cooked the cakes and pies, she even gave me and my brother Ray the beaters to lick clean, and the bowls and spoons to clean the same way. After we did the best, we could scrape and licking icing and batter and wearing as much as we ate, Mother would then take them and wash them and start again on the next pie or cake. And the process started all over again. The kitchen would be full of laughter and fun. Just as it should be.
Then Christmas morning came. I think that my parents were as excited as we were, no I know they were. We would all go into the living room together and Mother never had to say what was who’s. We knew what we asked for and in a certain section under the tree would be exactly what we requested.
The house was always full of people on Christmas, which with three brothers and a sister, my Mother and Father, we were pretty much a crowd by ourselves. But there were always others to show up also. The main reason I think was just to eat my Mother’s Christmas dinner. There was always a huge turkey, a perfectly cooked ham, salad, two pans of turkey dressing, one with celery and one (mine) without celery, gravy, cranberry sauce, corn, green beans, candied yams, deviled eggs, potatoes salad, piping hot dinner rolls and for dessert she would have a pineapple upside-down cake, a coconut cake, and the best hard-boiled fudge chocolate cake in the world. (We called it the concrete cake, but it was what we all looked for and at times fought over.) an abundance of sweet potatoes pie and then there was also the best banana pudding ever there was that graced the earth.
This wasn’t just one Christmas like this, but it was this way year after year when we were young. We gave our wish list, we knew to ask for what was in the budget, some years a lot, some not so much. We were taught to accept and to be thankful for what we did received. Furthermore, we knew that we were not rich, but we also knew that others had it far worse than we did even in the lean years.
In my section under the tree one Christmas was just a single little drum with my other gifts. As the years went on and as I grew, one year was a little drum set. A bass drum, one tom drum and a snare, with two cymbals. Then as I got older and in middle school, I even got a bag and hardware for a snare drum my Uncle Gene gave me. My Uncle Dee took it had new heads and snares put on it. And then I joined the Tapp Middle School Band. Made first chair, section leader and then honor band, all from that little drum I received that Christmas because of that song “The Little Drummer Boy.”
As the years went on, I didn’t play in high school and sort of lost the ability to play as well as I once did because of lack of practice, but I never lost the love for drums and to beat on them. I later bought me a Pearl Drum Kit. It had a snare four toms a floor tom the kick drum with two crash cymbals a ride cymbal, and hi-hat. I added a set of roto toms which made my set a ten-piece kit. It sat in my living room for years and when people first came into my house they would usually say when seeing them “I can tell you are single because no woman would allow those drums in a living room.” The kit is now serving God in my home church as I have them on loan to them.
I never lost the love for drums, and I still love to hear a good drum corp. It all started with that little Christmas song “The Little Drummer Boy.” And now I want to look at that song a little and maybe give you something to ponder.
From the internet we get this:
The words and music to the Christmas song Little Drummer Boy was composed by Katherine K. Davis, Henry Onorati and Harry Simeone in 1958.
The lyrics of Little Drummer Boy consist of no less than 21 rum pum pum pum’ — a major part of the song and therefore presenting an apparently easy task for the lyricist! However, Little Drummer Boy has been a huge hit for several artists.
I took out the rum pum pum pum’ to get you to look at the words.
Come they told me, we need to do that very thing, Go into ALL the word and present the Gospel (the Good News) what did the Bible tell us to tell…
A newborn King to see, unto you a child is born, angels telling the shepherds…
Our finest gifts we bring, the best we can offer as far as earthly things are as filthy rags. God wants more He deserves more…
To lay before the King, King of Kings
So, to honor Him, when we come…we honor by coming into His presence God wants to hear from us…
Little Baby, I am a poor boy too, He gave up heaven, came as a baby…
I have no gift to bring, that’s fit to give the King, we have nothing, we came into this world naked and naked we will return. You can’t take it with you when you go.
Shall I play for you, On my drum? And there it is.
Mary nodded, the ox and lamb kept time, that always bring a smile to me, and then I saw animals on Facebook keeping time with music…
I played my drum for Him, do whatever God has called you to do.
I played my best for Him,
Then He smiled at me, Me and my drum. Me and my drum.
I don’t want you to miss the best part of the song, and that is that the Little Drummer Boy could only offer what we all need to be offering Jesus. And that is our BEST! Snyder Turner my mentor used to say if you are going to sleep in church then at least snore and do you best.
“He did it all for His Love for You.”
By: Richard Mullen
He can turn the tides and calm the angry sea. He alone decides Who writes a symphony. He lights ev’ry star That makes our darkness bright. He keeps watch all through Each long and lonely night. He still finds the time to hear a child’s first prayer. Saint or sinner call and always find Him there.
Though it makes him sad to see the way we live, He’ll always say, “I forgive.”
He can grant a wish or make a dream come true. He can paint the clouds
And turn the gray to blue. He alone knows where To find the rainbow’s end.
He alone can see What lies beyond the bend. He can touch a tree And turn the leaves to gold. He knows every lie That you and I have told.
He, did it all for me,
He = used to refer to a man, boy, or male previously mentioned or easily identified. “Jesus”
Did = achieve or complete. What? Calvary’s Cross.
It = used to refer to a thing previously mentioned or easily identified. Gave us the Gift of Salvation
All = the whole of one’s energy or interest. Forgave us from every sin past present and future
For = in support of or in favor of (a person or policy). on behalf of or to the benefit of (someone or something). Took someone’s place
Me = used by a speaker to refer to himself or herself as the object of a verb or preposition. Compare with I.
So, we have in this:
Jesus, achieve and completed on Calvary’s Cross, paid for the Gift of Salvation. With His whole energy and interest to Forgive us from every sin past present and future in support of, in favor of, on behalf of, to the benefit of taking someone’s place and that someone was and is to refer to as ME!
He, did it all for me,
That’s the gift of Christmas.
The Gift that had Worth, Jesus gave it all. Therefore, who did He do it all for?
You that is who! I pray you have received His Present to you.
Merry Christmas!