THE SHACK, by William P. Young

Mack's daughter was murdered, and since then, well, he's had some issues with God. then a note arrives in his mailbox, inviting him to the very shack where his daughter died. the note is from God. he spends the weekend with the Divine and learning about Love.

a.

ma.

zing.

seriously, EVERYONE needs to read this book. i devoured it! inhaled it and couldn't put it down!! you can ask my friends, i dog-eared every page where it blew my mind, and yeah, it's about half the book. by the time i was finished, i felt like it had ripped my heart into a thousand tiny pieces and put it back together as something new, something whole, something full of Love and grace and peace. absolutely the BEST book i have read in years. and given how much i read (you can't tell from this blog, admittedly, but i read a lot), this is really saying something.

i have to say, i've been on quite a journey with God over the years. not all of it fun, either. and i think that, at least a lot of that would be my own fault. i had lost sight of God's love for me. but over the last six months especially, i've been learning more and more about God's love, and that really, all God really wants is me. ME!! that's it. just a relationship. God doesn't actually want us to do anything. just relationship. and yes, we'll be asked to do things in our journey, but those are to come more out of Love than obligations. there are no expectations in this relationship. just expectancy. just love and joy and intimacy. incredible. and that's what this book is about. it's about getting to know God, who truly has your best interests at heart, who is especially fond of you, who makes the sun rise every morning just for a chance to be with you.

yeah, this book blew my mind. it's amazing.

now, i'm aware that, especially among more, um, shall we say "conservative" christians, there is a lot of controversy surrounding this book. i think a lot of it has to do with their discomfort over God manifest as a larger-than-life black woman. and Jesus' comment that he's not a christian. and the manifestation of the holy spirit. to these people i say, boooo!! get over your hang-ups!! God is not some big old man with a long white flowing beard. God is Love. pure and simple. and if you open your heart to this book, and read with discernment (which really isn't even necessary, b/c i'm a theology nut and i didn't encounter anything wrong in there) you will understand. and be changed.

that being said...

don't read this book if you don't want to be changed. because it will change you. i've said it before, and i'll say it again,

a. ma. zing.