The Shack

Have you ever honestly read a book or text that changed your complete way of thinking or living? I never came across a text that "wrecked my world" until last summer. I read William P. Young's novel, The Shack, and learned how my relationship with the Lord could increase and grow in a way that I could have never imagined before.

Mack, a wonderful husband and father, had little belief in the existence of God or that there was a Savior who longed to spend time with him. After Mack's daughter is kidnapped by who they think may be a serial killer, he goes on a journey to find her. He came to an old abandoned shack in the woods, and finds the last peice of evidence that linked her to the serial killer. His daughter was gone forever. He begins to get letters in the mail signed by Papa. Ironically, Papa was what Mack's wife called God. The last letter from Papa led him back to the shack where he said goodbye to his little girl. This time the shack looks like a cottage and there were three people inside: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. He watches God the Father cook dinner and then walks on the dock with God the Son as they fish. He begins to develop a relationship with the three of them. As they sat down to eat dinner, he started to say a blessing over the food. He realized then that he could just look at them and thank them. Throughout the story he listens to them and finds out that God is not a mean ruler who took his daughter away from him. He learned the plans that were set in place for his life.

Reading this book made me jealous. Why could I not be Mack in this story? How cool would it be to watch God cook dinner as you listen to his thoughts about life? Or to go fishing with God the Son, just spending quality time with him? I quickly checked myself after asking these questions. I had just learned the purpose of the whole book. William P. Young desired for his readers to develop a relationship with the Lord like Mack did.

I will never view God as a distance ruler in my life. He can be as close to me as I wish.