What gifts can you give Him?

I love the month of December!  I love being able to hang up pretty Christmas lights, listen to songs on the radio, going home to family, and the spirit that accompanies this special season.  Music especially is the best part.  I grew up in a home where music was everywhere, and I mean everywhere.  

My five brothers and I grew up with our best friend: a beautiful, 7 foot Yamaha grand piano.  My earliest memories revolve around that instrument.  My father is masterful pianist and song writer.  There were nights when I was a little girl that my Dad would begin practicing the piano and I would rush to get into bed so I could fall asleep to his playing.  One of our most favorite songs he played was the "Raindrop Prelude" by Chopin.  We loved to dance around the room to the "rain" in the music but when the thunder came, we would dash under the piano and giggle hysterically as my dad pounded the keys as loud as he could.  When we were old enough, each of us was enrolled in piano lessons.  When we reached middle school, we chose an additional instrument and joined either the orchestra or band.  All our instruments combined included: cello, violin, viola, piano, organ, guitar, clarinet, oboe, and saxophone.  The joke in the family is my mother plays the whip; she gets us all to practice.  Of course, I'm not sure how she survived.  There were some days when each person was practicing an instrument in a different room of a house.  Like I said, music was everywhere.

With my fathers great talent for writing and arranging songs, my family was blessed with the opportunity to perform in many scenarios together.  Although rehearsals didn't always go smoothly and more than once involved tears (yes from the boys too), it was and is one of our favorite things to do.  As we rehearsed my father would always stress using music to bear testimony.  It was through our feelings and the way we played our instruments that the spirit could be communicated to others.  This is probably why when I run music rehearsals I always try now to drive home the purpose of each piece.

And now to point of all this.  My favorite Christmas carol is "Drummer Boy."  Several years ago I was in the Las Vegas city-wide Mormon Youth Orchestra.  Our conductor read us the words of the song and it stuck with me.  The lyrics are below (I removed the pa rum pum pum pum's):

Come they told me
A new born King to see
Our finest gifts we bring
To lay before the King
So to honor Him
When we come

Little baby
I am a poor boy too
I have no gift to bring
That's fit to give our King
Shall I play for you

On my drum

Mary nodded

The ox and lamb kept time

I played my drum for Him

I played my best for Him

Then He smiled at me

Me and my drum 

I love the story the song portrays.  A little boy is told to go see the newborn King.  Others have such fine gifts to offer to the babe but the little boy has nothing, that is nothing but his music.  He offers the Christ-child the gift of his music and "[he] played [his] best for Him."  In so many ways, I feel like the little drummer boy.

President Monson said in the recent Christmas Devotional:

“May we give as the Savior gave.  To give of oneself is a holy gift. We give as a remembrance of all the Savior has given. May we also give gifts that have eternal value, along with our gifts that eventually break or are forgotten. How much better the world would be if we all gave gifts of understanding and compassion, of service and friendship, of kindness and gentleness.

“As the Christmas season envelopes us with all its glory, may we, as did the Wise Men, seek a bright, particular star to guide us in our celebration of the Savior’s birth. May we all make the journey to Bethlehem in spirit, taking with us a tender, caring heart as our gift to the Savior.” 

Christmas is here and New Year's is right around the corner.  I invite each of us to consider what we can give to the Christ child now and throughout the coming year.  He offered his life for us and He asks in return to give of our lives (time, talents, etc.) to Him.  I hope we can be as the little drummer boy and give of ourselves, and give our very best. "Then He smiled at me, Pa Rum Pum Pum Pum."