Song of the Week - Cry Out to Jesus

Every once in a while, there is a song that you have listened to time and time again, but that you haven't really listened to. For me, this is one of those songs.

I like Third Day for a lot of reasons. Their southern rock style is comfortable to a guy like me who grew up listening to bands like the Eagles and Lynrd Skynrd. Their lyrics are deep and meaningful. Mac Powell's easy baritone puts the songs in original keys that I can reach vocally. Their cover of Rich Mullins' Creed simply rocks.

I've had Cry Out to Jesus for a while now. It's been on my mp3 player, and our sound guy at church likes to play it during altar calls if we don't play. So I've heard it, and even knew some of the words. But I honestly never really listened to it until a few weeks ago.

"To everyone whose lost someone they love,
Long before it was their time
You feel like the days you had were not enough
When you said goodbye"

This was the lyric that really caught my ear, the opening of the song. I had just come from the funeral of an amazing man, a real encourager with a passion for worship, who had gone before his time. I was like, "Yeah... that's it! That's how I feel." I began to listen more intently, to replay the song over and over.

"For the ones who can't break the addictions and chains
You try to give up, but you come back again,
Just remember that you're not alone in your shame
And your suffering."

But Mac's got the answer:

"Cry out to Jesus. Cry out to Je-sus..."

The lyric that really gets me though, is the half-verse after the bridge. The music just about drops out and Mac is almost just speaking:

"To the widow who struggles with being alone
Wiping the tears from her eyes
For the children around the world without a home
Say a prayer tonight. "

I can barely get through that without choking up, some days.

Cry out to Jesus. What more do we need to do?