The Shack

*** Spoiler Warning - If you haven't read "The Shack" and plan to, do read this blog*****

I just finished reading "The Shack" and thought that it was pretty amazing. I'm not saying that just because it was a good read and kept my attention or because everyone else has said that they really enjoyed it. I have to say that part of me just read it because I wanted to know what all the hype was about, but my sister and I bought it for my mom for Christmas and she recommended it to me when I was home for Spring Break - so I read it; that's what a 6 hour drive back to Atlanta from St. Augustine will do for you :)

But once I started reading it, I never wanted to put it down - which is hard when you have classes to attend, chapel requirements to meet, lesson plans to write and trying to have a social life. But I found the time to just sit down and read - which meant turning off the television and curling up on the couch with my book.

Now after reading it, it changes my view of God. I think I have always thought of the stereotypical God and Jesus. You know what I am talking about - dark hair and eyes, tall, rather handsome and strong; and God always came into my mind as being male and huge and powerful. But when Mack heads to the shack, he encounters God, but in a way you would never expect. God appeared to Mack as a black woman - this totally threw me for a loop when I read that. I was just like "What! God isn't female!" But God explains to Mack, that God appears to us in the form we need and for Mack, that was a warm and loving female. So I began to wonder about the forms God appears to me....and have kinda drawn a blank - which I am not sure whether that is a good thing or a bad one. I know that God has answered my prayers in forms of an action, but as far as actually meeting God, I am not sure that I have done that.

Another part of the book that really spoke out to me was a conversation between Jesus and Mack. Mack comments that he wants a love that Jesus, God, and Sarayu have, but Jesus tells him that there are obstacles in his way that are not allowing him to have a love like that. The main obstacle Jesus spoke of was Mack. Mack asks the question "Is there any way out of this?" and Jesus says the following: "It is so simple, but never easy for you. By re-turning. By turning back to me. By giving up your ways of power and manipulation and just come back to me. Women, in general, will find it difficult to turn from a man and stop demanding that he meets their needs, provides security, and protects their identity, and return to me. Men, in general, find it very hard to turn from the works of theirs hands, their own quests for power and security and significance, and return to me." I was completely blown away by that paragraph! I mean, all I have to do is give up my need for a man in my life to be my security blanket and that I should turn back to God and allow him to be my security blanket. If only it wasn't that hard for a control freak like myself to give that up. Sunday, the sermon was about dying to one's self and becoming a seed in a garden that is fruitful. All I could think about Sunday was how I need to give up my control.

Another paragraph that caught my attention was when Mack posed the following question to Jesus, "You're not too fond of religion and institutions?" Jesus replies by saying, "I don't create institutions - never have, never will." So Mack asks, "What about the institution of marriage?" Jesus says, "Marriage is not an institution. It's a relationship. Like I said, I don't create institutions; that's an occupation for those who want to play God. So, no, I'm not too big on religion, and not very fond of politics or economics either. And why should I be? They are the man-created trinity of terrors that ravages the earth and deceives those I care about. What mental turmoil and anxiety does any human face that is not related to one of those three?" All I could think was OMG!!! I could never picture Jesus actually saying those words. Don't get me wrong, I believe every word that is up there, but just never really imagined Jesus saying them. Then I thought about how true it is that all we worry about is politics, economics, and religion. Those three cause stress, arguments, divorce, etc. I thought about how much I worry about those things and it's ridiculous. I can't believe how much my life revolves around those three issues!

So needless to say, I really learned a lot from this book. It has changed the way I view God and how he reaches out to his children when they need them. I have also learned that the things I focus on the most should not be on my top ten list and that I need to get some things straight in my life before I try to help out anyone else. :)