Now & Then Dashing through the snow!

PEA RIDGE — I’ve been thinking about “Jingle Bells,” the lively little sleighing song that many of us love to sing as Christmas time draws near.

“Jingle Bells” is not really a Christmas song, it is a winter song, a snow song, a sleighing song, a take a hilarious ride about the countryside song, a have a blast on a chilly afternoon song. “Jingle Bells” is a kind of distraction from the dreariness and sameness of everyday life, especially from the darkness and chill of winter. Pretty obviously Christmas is a much greater matter, a far more substantial matter, far richer in meaning, and ultimately far more effective medicine for the dreary heart than ever “Jingle Bells” could be. ButI want to dwell on Jingle Bells for a time here.

I don’t think “Jingle Bells” originated in Arkansas. It must come from New York or New England! I grewup around Pea Ridge, and I never ever went on a sleigh ride on a winter’s day. In fact, in about a month I will have lived on earth for 70 years, and never yet have I gone on a sleigh ride. “Jingle Bells” itself says go it while you’re young. Maybe I’m already a little old for a sleigh ride. No, I think I could really enjoy a sleigh ride behind a spirited bobtailed bay. What a sight! A fine red open sleigh, a beautiful horse, his coat glistening in the sunlight against the snow, bells jingling at each step of the way, the crunch of the icy snow beneath the sleigh! I can enjoy that. The beat of the song keeps time with clip clopclip clop of the horse’s feet on the frozen ground.

I guess the closest thing we ever had to a sleigh was our snow sleds. In about 1947, my brother Ben and I got new snow sleds for Christmas. Santa left them under the tree for us. They were very fine sleds, with sleek steel runners, high varnish seats, with levered handles at the front for steering. We could go in prone position, steering with our hands, or ride sitting up, steering with our feet. Sometimes even Dad would get on behind one of us and take a ride down the icy hill. The only thing is, so many winters in Arkansas have only slushy snows, not very good for sledding.

Sledding works better after a sleet storm, or after rain falls on the snow and refreezes. The things that make for good sledding in Arkansas make everything else tougher to deal with.

What slippery, treacherous conditions we put up with in order to enjoy a good sledding outing!

I can see “Jingle Bells” as a wholesome reminder that the Christmas season and its observances provide lots of sidelines to enjoy, all of them part of the blessings of life. There is a time to discover pleasant opportunities that show up for us even in the bleak times, the cold times, the dark times.

I have to believe that God enjoys seeing his children dashing through the snow, sledding down the hill, taking a romantic ride in a one-horse open sleigh, putting bells on for a jaunt across the countryside.

I also see a little troubling note in “Jingle Bells.” I’m not sure that the sleigh driver has a feeling for the horse that is providing his speed and opportunity for fun. It is plainly a rented horse, $2.40 for his speed.

Some versions of the song precede that line with “Just get a bob-tailed nag.” The second stanza of the song in the version I’m looking at says, “The horse was lean and lank, misfortune seemed his lot. He got into drifted bank, and we - we got upset!” I’m wondering where the driver was when the poor horse got into that snowdrift? Possibly he was paying more attention to Miss Fanny Bright by his side than to watching where they were going. Was it the poor horse’s fault? When I was a boy I read the book “Black Beauty,” so I can’t be comfortable with using an animal for one’s own enjoyments without thinking of how things are goingfor the horse. I think some versions of “Jingle Bells” say “get a bob-tailed bay,” which sounds better than trying to run the legs off a poor nag. Anyway, if we’regoing dashing through the snow, I want the horse to be having fun, too!

“Jingle Bells” falls way short of really celebrating Christmas, so I want something more in Christmas music, something deeper and better, something that draws us close to the manger of Bethlehem, something that reveals the deeper reasons the Lord provides for our hopes and aspirations. But there is a time for “Jingle Bells,” too, for enjoying sledding and frolicking in the snow, for singing sleighing songs; and there are times to enjoy the beautiful creatures of God’s creation! I see “Jingle Bells” as reminding us of some of God’s very pleasant gifts inlife.

But His greatest Gift is Jesus Christ, His Son, Our Lord and Savior!

Contact Jerry Nichols by e-mail at joe369@centurytel. net, or call 621-1621.