Day Sixteen

A Song That Makes Me Cry

Well, this is almost appropriate. The Christmas season is almost upon us, and the first song that comes to mind that makes me cry just about every time I hear it is a song by the group Newsong. You may know it, it's called The Christmas Shoes.

It's about this guy who's kind of just going through the motions of Christmas, standing in line at the store, waiting for the cashier to ring him up and send him on his merry way. But there's this kid in front of him in line trying to buy a pair of shoes for his mom, and he doesn't quite have enough money. From the lyrics, it sounds like he broke his piggy bank and is trying to pay with every penny he's managed to save up. But it just isn't enough. So the boy explains that his mother is sick and he just has to buy his mom these shoes so she'll look nice when she goes to meet Jesus. The kid's situation breaks the man's heart and he hands over the money that's needed, and it reminds him what Christmas is really all about.

Of course, that's not the only song that ever makes me cry. There have been others, but there are very few that make me cry each time I hear them. Most of the time, it just depends on my circumstances as to whether or not a particular song will affect me. There have been instances when I've heard a song for the hundredth time and I hear it in a new way or from a new perspective and the tears just well up. It's weird how that works.