"Drumbeat of Love" | Christmas Tales

David was no ordinary teenager. He was poor, skinny, and dressed in second-hand clothes, with a quiet strength inside him, but his wisdom far exceeded his years. Despite his hardships, he remained faithful, praying several times a day to the divine higher power he knew as Jesus Christ.
 
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At school, David was invisible. His classmates never called on him during discussions, never invited him to lunch, and never included him in after-school study sessions. He tried, time and time again, to break into their inner circle, but they snubbed him without a second thought. Even his teacher treated him as if he didn’t exist.
 
The rejection stung, but David found comfort in his love for music. He spent hours teaching himself to play the drums, banging out rhythms on cardboard boxes and kitchen pots. His grandfather, recognizing his hidden talent, gifted him a real set of drums on Christmas Day a year ago, a gift David treasured deeply.
 
In those quiet moments alone with his music, David felt seen, understood, and connected to something greater than the world that ignored him, a place where his spirit could breathe, dream, and grow freely.
 
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One day, his substitute teacher, who had replaced his former teacher after her sudden passing, asked David if he would play the role of The Little Drummer Boy in the school’s annual Christmas Nativity play.
 
To everyone’s surprise, David eagerly agreed. No one had ever seen him perform, let alone sing.
 
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On the night of the play, the school auditorium was packed with parents, teachers, guests, and students.
 
The production was dull, failing to hold the audience’s attention, until David stepped onto the stage.
 
He moved slowly, carrying his drum, and then began to sing:
 
🎵
David: “Baby Jesus, I am a poor boy too. I have no gift to bring.”
Drumbeats: Pa-rum-pum-pum-pum.
David: “Then, He smiled at me.”
Drumbeats: Pa-rum-pum-pum-pum.
David: “Me and my drum.”
Drumbeats: Pa-rum-pum-pum-pum.
 
The crowd sat in stunned silence, then erupted in applause and began speaking among themselves:
 
“David was incredible!”
“He rocked it!!”
“I had no idea David could sing AND play the drums!”
“He was spectacular!!”
 
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In that moment, David was no longer the forgotten kid. He had transformed rejection into a gift, honing his talent until the perfect opportunity arrived.
 
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And just when he thought the night couldn’t get any better, a guest in the audience, a recruiter for the prestigious Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C., offered him a place at the school.
 
After excelling there, David earned a music scholarship to Northern Virginia Community College, later pursuing a Ph.D. in music at Georgetown University.
 
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Today, David is a professor at the University of Rejection, where he dedicates himself to uplifting students who feel unseen or insecure. Much like the Savior he prayed to daily, David knew the sting of rejection and hardship.
 
But in the end, he discovered his purpose: to give others hope for a better life and to show them that rejection is often a setup for something greater, the discovery of one’s true worth. David found his calling, just as his Lord and Savior fulfilled His own, becoming King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
 
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(Copyright © 2025 by Mia Z. Edwards. All rights reserved.)