My favorite Christmas song

I was driving to Columbus the other day while listening to the radio.  The guy on the radio mentioned that the song they have the most variations of at that studio was "Silent Night".  I got to thinking how that must be the favorite Christmas song of a lot of people.  My favorite Christmas song is "Little Drummer Boy".  I have loved that song for as far back as I can remember.  For those of you who don't know the song, the words go...

Come, they told me, pah rum pah pum pum
A new born king to see pah rum pah pum pum
Our finest gifts we bring pah rum pah pum pum
To lay before the king pah rum pah pum pum rum pah pum pum rum pah pum pum
So to honor him pa rum pah pum pum
When we come.

Baby Jesus pah rum pah pum pum\
I am a poor boy too pah rum pah pum pum
I have no gift to bring pah rum pah pum pum
That's fit to give a king pah rum pah pum pum rum pah pum pum rum pah pum pum
Shall I play for You pah rum pah pum pum
On my drum

Mary nodded pah rum pah pum pum
The ox and lambs kept time pah rum pah pum pum
I played my drum for Him pah rum pah pum pum
I played my best for Him pah rum pah pum pum rum pah pum pum rum pah pum pum
Then He smiled at me pah rum pah pum pum
Me and my drum

As a child, I related to the fact that the drummer boy was poor.  I hear people say they were poor and didn't know it.  I think growing up I always realized we were poor.  No one had to tell me, or laughed at me because I didn't have what they had.  I just knew it. 

As an adult I relate more to the playing my best for Him.  I still understand the poor boy part.  Poor is part of what made me who I am today.  It's true, I am no longer as poor as when I grew up, but that could change.  We have no guarantee of our monetary status. 

My hope is that one day, when I get to Heaven, He will smile on me.  The thought of just a smile from the Creator of the universe, the One who died on the cross for me, is enough to keep me trying.  I am human.  I don't always do everything perfectly.  In fact, so many times, I fail at my attempts.  My best isn't always good enough for people, but it's ok.  I just keep trying, knowing that He knows my abilities.  He gave them to me.  There will always be someone just a little better than myself, but my goal isn't approval from a person just as flawed as myself in many ways.  My goal is approval from Him.

The thought of one day getting that smile from Him is enough.