We all sing it, the 12 Days of Christmas. The original includes the classic and well-known nouns — Day 1: A Partridge in a Pear Tree. Day 2: Two Turtle Doves. Day 3: Three French Hens. Day 4: Four Calling Birds. Day 5: Five Gold Rings. Day 6: Six Geese a-Laying. Day 7: Seven Swans a-Swimming. Day 8: Eight Maids a-Milking. Day 9: Nine Ladies Dancing. Day 10: Ten Lords a-Leaping. Day 11: Eleven Pipers Piping. Day 12: Twelve Drummers Drumming.
But what if we made a Delta or even a Sunflower County version?
Day 1? Easy – A mallard duck on a flooded rice field. And let’s keep it going.
Day 2? How about two deer dogs — oh, and away we go — three French blues Tourists, four Blue Biscuit bloody Mary’s…
Five Peasoup’s fried shrimp!
Six pairs of Abraham’s penny loafers, seven channel catfish swimming, eight Double Quick chicken on a stick, nine Brindley Theatre ladies dancing, ten Baptists leaping, eleven Rebels winning and twelve Boone and Crocket record Bucks lounging underneath my favorite stand.
Well, it’s something. Catchy or not. But what I didn’t realize is that the 12 days of Christmas actually run from Christmas Day through January 5. By then, I’m usually trying to focus on the New Year and all those resolutions to make and break. But I reckon focusing on Jesus throughout the Christmas season and from Christmas Day into the New Year is exactly what we should be doing.
And we can update that song and personalize it and focus on our Lord and Savior. Follow Jesus and sing it your own way inserting the blessings you know and savor and focus on Jesus.
On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…
