These words suddenly came to mind “I have no gift to bring, pa rum pa pum… that’s fit to give our king, pa rum pa pum…Shall I play for you? pa rum pa pum...I played my drum for him, pa rum pa pum…I played my best for him, pa rum pa pum….Then he smiled at me.” As I was praying about a big decision, I felt the Holy Spirit lay the song “Little Drummer Boy” on my heart. I pictured baby Jesus in a manger, and I imagined myself standing before him like the little drummer boy. What could I give him?
Blogger Kati Lynn Davis shared in her December 16 blog that this song is one she will forever stand by. (Click here if you haven't read it.) On this Christmas Day, this blog explores further how we can humbly lay our gifts at the feet of Christ.
I had been agonizing over whether or not I should return to Tanzania from November 29 - December 14. As I read the invitation to go teach women the Bible, I felt my heart leap for joy… and I wanted to throw up with anxiety at the same time. Oh man! Being halfway around the globe from my family was hard for me! Being adventurous is not really in my nature. And to be honest, this would really mess up my Christmas preparations! I did not love the idea of trying to cram all the activities of preparing for Christmas into a shorter amount of time. How could I get all my shopping done before I leave on November 29? When would we get our tree? When could I decorate? Would I still have time to do all the Christmas things I wanted to do and to celebrate our December birthdays?
The irony of me worrying about how to celebrate Christmas with all the trappings of materialism instead of focusing on the One the holiday is about was not lost on me. To turn down an opportunity to teach about Jesus so I could decorate and/or shop for Christmas was such hypocrisy. I felt that through this song, God was saying bring your humble gifts to me. He was saying, your focus should be on my smile.
This beautiful woman holds her craft which is a tool to share the gospel by using colors.
Another issue was my love/stress relationship with Africa. I love the people, love the team and organization I would be traveling with, but there are so many anxiety-provoking unknowns with a trip like this. Traveling to a third world country was always filled with so many mysteries. (Tanzania is actually considered a fourth world country.) You just never know what to expect in any given situation. And then there was Covid! The new variant surfaced just as we were getting ready to go. I did not want to end up sick so far from home. What if we couldn’t get back into the country? There were many fears associated with this trip but I felt God nudging me to go and to trust. He was saying “Just bring your gifts, just play for me.”
In spite of all my fears and reservations, I was excited to return there. I loved this opportunity to share the good news of Jesus in another part of the world.
A woman multi-tasks in bright multi-colors.
To turn down this opportunity because it wasn’t convenient caused me to consider that it probably wasn’t convenient for Jesus to leave heaven for me. Leaving my comfortable life and going to Africa at an inconvenient time pales in comparison to leaving the splendor of heaven and coming to the squalor of a stable. For the Son of God to come to earth as a helpless babe was a far richer price to pay. He did this out of love for us. He became Immanuel-God with us. He wasn’t selfish or self consumed with his own comfort but came to save us from our separation from God.
For me to lay my humble gifts at the feet of Christ was a small price to pay. I can never out-give God.
Whatever your lead up to Christmas looked like this year, I encourage you to embrace the babe in the manger. I encourage you to consider what Christ did for us when he came to earth as a baby. He came to live and walk among us. He came to show us how to live. He came on a mission of love and mercy. He came to rescue us from ourselves and to give us real purpose. Everything else pales in comparison.
May the peace of Christ fill you today. May you feel His smile upon you.
Photo at top of page: Attendees at the Women’s Conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where we taught the book of Habakuk.
“Little Drummer Boy” Lyrics
Little baby
Pa rum pum pum pum
I am a poor boy too
Pa rum pum pum pum
I have no gift to bring
Pa rum pum pum pum
That's fit to give our king
Pa rum pum pum pum,
Rum pum pum pum,
Rum pum pum pum
Shall I play for you
Pa rum pum pum pum
Pa rum pum pum
Pum pum pum pum
Mary nodded
Pa rum pum pum pum
The ox and lamb kept time
Pa rum pum pum pum
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
ABOUT OUR BLOGGER
Bonnie Kotler and her husband Mitch have two daughters, three sons, four grandchildren and three grand-puppies. She was a stay-at- home mom for many years before re-entering the workforce after receiving her M.S. in Counseling and Human Relations from Villanova University. She is a licensed professional counselor at The Peacemaker Center and her own private practice, True North Counseling. Bonnie has been on the Willowdale women’s ministry teaching team since 2012. Bible studies have played a key role in her walk as a believer, and in turn, she loves to help other women find their peace with God and grow in their faith. She enjoys writing Bible study materials, reading fiction, spending time with family and doing anything in the sunshine. Bonnie loves to laugh and considers laughter as the best medicine. Psalm 126:2