Christmas Music

Okay, I'm going to give you some insight into my spontaneous emotions. For those that know me well, you know that I am probably the most emotional person we both know. I take medication to control it mostly. But there are times when my meds cannot mask my true feelings.

Sometimes, this is a bad thing...when my depression is really deep and I don't really know why. But I'm not writing about those times right now. What I'm sharing today is all about those times when something just touches my heart so truly, that I can't help but cry. You know, like when you're watching Extreme Makeover: Home Edition with Ty Pennington and they just yelled 'Move that bus!' Okay, it's like that. Only it doesn't have to be that grand a gesture to invoke tears in me.

I was sitting at my desk at work, doing a somewhat tedious task that doesn't require a whole lot of brain-power. And I was listening to my Casting Crowns "Peace on Earth" CD. The song "While You Were Sleeping (Original Christmas Version)" played. It's track #4. I hear this song EVERY time I listen to this CD. But today, I truly HEARD it. I stopped typing and just listened...and then cried. I don't know if anyone noticed that I'd stopped typing. I'm pretty sure no one noticed that I started crying. But the words to the song mixed with the lovely melody just touched me in a way it hadn't before. And I could not control the emotional reaction.

Here is the song. (you probably want to scroll to the bottom of this page and turn off my music player)

And here are the words. I hope it touches your heart as much as it touched mine.

Oh little town of Bethlehem
Looks like another silent night
Above your deep and dreamless sleep
A giant star lights up the sky
And while you're lying in the dark
There shines an everlasting light
For the King has left His throne
And is sleeping in a manger tonight, tonight

Oh Bethlehem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
For God became a man
And stepped into your world today
Oh Bethlehem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping

Mary shivers in the cold
Trying to keep the Savior warm
Born among the animals wrapped in dirty rags
Because there was no room for Him
In the world He came to save

Oh Bethlehem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
For God became a man
And stepped into your world today
Oh Bethlehem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping

United States of America
Looks like another silent night
As we're sung to sleep by philosophies
That save the trees and kill the children
And while we're lying in the dark
There's a shout heard 'cross the eastern sky
For the Bridegroom has returned
And has carried His bride away in the night

America, what will we miss while we are sleeping
Will Jesus come again
And leave us slumbering where we lay
America, will we go down in history
As a nation with no room for its King
Will we be sleeping
Will we be sleeping

United States of America
Looks like another silent night