On the Twelfth Day of Christmas...

"On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me twelve drummers drumming."

Although the word "drum" does not appear in the Bible, we can get pretty close with the word "timbrel" or hand drum  (picture a tambourine).  The timbrel was played during happy and festive celebrations...much like the Christmas season we are now enjoying. 

I've heard that drummers are the "conductors" of sorts in a band.  They start the group ("on four" dink, dink, dink, boom) and keep time during the songs.  When drumming is intentional and precise, the sounds richly under gird the melody and occasionally dramatically overpower it. Drumming is just plain awesome!  But...if the drumming is chaotic, obnoxious,  uninvited or relentless, uh hem... the effect, I'm sorry to say, is far less than inspirational.

I read a message recently from a friend who is fed up with holiday spirit and cheer.  She is a big fat "no thanks" to this hap, happiest time of the year.  Everything she hears is a loud, head-throbbing and ear-splitting clang.  Her life, she concludes, is more like the torn gift wrapping than it is the gift inside.  Her Christmas cookies burned, she missed the great sale, and her tree is of the Charlie Brown variety.  And besides that, the kids are fighting and the bills are past due.

Ever been there?  I have.   And as we usher in this holiday...from Black Friday to those first few days of January, the noise is almost deafening.  What if we just took a moment to beat out a new sound?  We can remind ourselves that what is most important this season isn't measured with a comparison stick. 

Everyday is Christmas and everyday we are called to make a joyful noise unto the Lord.  Your True Love sends you drummers for a reason.  You're called to battle against comparing yourself to others because you will find no harmony there.  Instead pick up your drum stick and walk.   Praise Him with timbrel in your own special way for there you will find true joy.

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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

From Blue Letter Bible International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia

Drum:

drum (tumpanon): This was the Hebrew toph, "tabret" or "timbrel," a hand-drum, consisting of a ring of wood or metal covered with a tightly drawn skin, with small pieces of metal hung around the rim, like a tambourine. It was raised in the one hand and struck with the other, usually by women, but sometimes also by men, at festivities and on occasions of rejoicing. See 1 Macc 9:39, the Revised Version (British and American) "timbrels."

Let them praise His name with dancing;
Let them sing praises to Him with timbrel and lyre.
Psalm 149:3