The Heart of Adoption: This Christmas (Joy to the World)

Am I the only one who cries every time I hear "This Christmas (Joy to the World) by Toby Mac?  Every year, I think I'll have toughened up enough to make it through, but then I hear that Johny's "gonna spend his first Christmas in a real home" and I tear up.

It breaks my heart that there are so many children who will be all alone over Christmas.   Dave and I are comfy and cozy in our warm house this Christmas.  We'll decorate the tree, hang Christmas lights, exchange presents, and enjoy Christmas music next to the fireplace.  We'll be warm and well-fed, and be surrounded by friends and family, and in a place we know that we "belong."

Meanwhile, there are kids, just like Johny, who have nowhere to go, who will not feel loved, and will not get enough to eat.  They may not have anyone who will go Christmas shopping with them, or decorate cookies with them.  They may be cold on Christmas, and feel unloved.

I don't usually wish for a huge house (it'd just be more to clean anyway), but when I hear this song, I wish we had a mansion so that we could adopt 100 kids and never let them spend the night in an orphanage again.

Click here to listen to the song for free

Here's the lyrics:

Woman: Joy to the world

Let heaven and nature sing

Let heaven and nature sing

Toby Mac:Now Johny never got his wish on December 25

That's what he said when he left the orphanage

9 years old, but Johny was an old soul

Gonna spend his first Christmas in a real home

Showed me a picture that he drew the night before

Was a picture of a man standin' outside a door

I asked him who it was and he said someone I only

see in dreams

Comforts me when I cry myself to sleep

Woman:Father of the fatherless

Be with your sons and daughters this Christmas

This Christmas

Toby Mac:Believe in angels?

Johny asked me starin' at the sky

I said I do and saw a sparkle in his eye

Big brother for the weekend respondin' to the season

Took the chance that givin's better than recievin'

Two nights, a new family, some holiday cheer

We laughed and sang

Came on a midnight clear

We gave, recieved, and as we headed to close

We looked to the heavens and it started to snow

Down blessings

Woman: Father of the fatherless

Be with your sons and daughters this Christmas

(Toby Mac:You ain't livin' til you choose to give love and joy and

peace to one of His)

Father let us not forget

The children who are all alone this Christmas

(Toby Mac:You ain't livin' til you choose to give, you ain't livin' til

You choose to give)

(James 1:27)

Little Boy: Religion that God our Father

Accepts as pure and faultless is this

To look after orphans and widows in their distress

Merry Christmas everyone

Woman:Joy to the world

The Lord is come

Let heaven and nature sing

Let heaven and nature sing

Let heaven and nature sing

Let heaven and nature sing

Toby Mac:Believe in angels Jonnie asked me starin' at the sky

I said I do and saw a sparkle in his eye

9 years old, but Jonnie was an old soul

Gonna spend is next Christmas in a real home

Woman: Father of the fatherless

Be with your sons and daughters this Christmas

(Toby Mac:You ain't livin' til you choose to give love and joy and

peace to one of His)

Father let us not forget

The children who are all alone this Christmas

(Toby Mac:You ain't livin' til you choose to give, you ain't livin' til

You choose to give)

Father of the fatherless

Be with your sons and daughters this Christmas

Let Heaven and nature sing

Let Heaven and nature sing

Father let us not forget

The children who are all alone this Christmas

(Toby Mac:You ain't livin' til you choose to give, you ain't livin' til

You choose to give)

Toby Mac: You ain't livin'

You ain't livin'

You ain't livin'

Woman: Let Heaven and Nature sing

Let Heaven and nature sing

(Toby Mac:You ain't livin' til you choose to give, you ain't livin' til

You choose to give)

Don't leave me all alone

This Christmas

Little Boy: Merry Christmas Everyone

*Click here to see all the posts in this series.