The Shack, by Wm.Paul Young

Well, is anyone up for book club via blog?  I unearthed another book that took me forever to get through because there was so much meat in it to make me think.  Just like A Thousand Splendid Suns, The Shack is not my book so I had to type out all the good quotes to have for future reference.  I have it in a word document and it takes up something like 8 pages!  Crazy, I know, but it really had some life lessons in it for me.

The Shack is about a man spending a weekend with God, physically in His presence, on earth, in a shack.  It's about relationships.  For me it wasn't just about how to have a relationship with God, but how to translate that relationship into what I would want for myself and the people I love here on earth as well.  The book doesn't give you the churchy talk that seems to be so far out of reach for a person like me, but it makes it tangible, because God is standing right there talking.

I've read some of the reviews of the book and how the theologians pick apart different aspects of what is said.  Some are arguing about the Godhead and the Trinity.  To be completely honest, I don't even really care.  I'm not a theologian, so I am taking from this book what my heart says is good and true and right.  I'm already gaining a better relationship with my daughter by putting into action one of the quotes I wrote on my mirror. (I'll post it later)  I don't have any idea what faith the author of this book is, but I'm sure that he has a better relationship and understanding of my God that I have.

The main character in The Shack was described in this way:

“He can speak intelligently about most anything, and even though you sense he has strong convictions, he has a gentle way about him that lets you keep yours.”(pg 10)

That was all it took to hook me.  Any experience that can teach a person to be like that is an experience worth sharing.  That is a description that I would someday like to be said about me.  I'd like to be sure enough of myself that I can let other people be sure about themselves without it rocking my world.  Plus, I'd like to be able to speak intelligently about things :0

Now, I just have to figure out how to use the quotes I have without giving away the whole plot and characters, while still making it all make sense... (oh geez, just go get the book and read it so I can discuss it with you!  It will be life changing, I'm telling you!)