The Shack

For the second time I have read through...well actually listened to...The Shack by William P. Young. I realized this time around that I was in a different place than the first time. The story hit me in new ways, deepening my understanding of God and ultimately my relationship with him. I could never reflect on the whole book here...however I would like to point out many aspects that are still at the forefront of my mind.
How often are our ideas of theology, doctrine, belief, and faith challenged? Are we really living for God or are we just singing praises to him on a Sunday? As I dug through the pages of this book I found my belief of who God was challenged. He wasn't just a being somewhere or a king telling me what to do. But he was Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is wanting to be in relationship with us just as Father, Son and Holy Spirit are ina mutually submissive relationship with one another. As they submit to one another, they build each other up. How awesome would it be if we mutually submitted to one another? We would see very similar outcomes.
flying. We see it as this lofty thing that birds can do, soaring above the ground and enjoying a beautiful view. Or, we see it as this convenient way to travel across the country. But what about a lesson in flying? Papa says while standing in the kitchen with Mack:
"Consider our little friend here," she began. "Most birds were created to fly. Being grounded for them is a limitation within their aility to fly, not the other way around... You, on the other hand, were created to be loved. So for you to live as if you are unloved is a limitation, not the other way around." ....."living unloved is like clipping a birds wings and removing its ability to fly, not something I want for you."
God created us to be loved and to shed his love on ohters. Each time we deny the fact that we are loved...we stay grounded. This was a new concept for me. And I quickly realized all the ways I deny the love that God and others have for me. So today I fly a little higher, trusting in God and allowing the love of others to pour through me.
So...we all know that God specifically informs us not to judge others. But how often do we continue to do this? How often do we compare ourselves to others? How often do we judge God for what we feel his is doing or not doing? I know in my life it is far too often. I judge those who I love most. I judge those who I barely know at all. Young clearly depicts how we judge others in the portion of the book where Mack is given the opportunity to judge and to choose which children of his will spend eternity in hell and which will spend eternity with God.
At one point during the book Mack is in the garden with Sarayu. He is walking through a beautiful and wonderful mess. And Sarayu is tearing everyting up. All the flowers and all the weeds. Confused....Mack and readers soon learn that this garden is a representation of Mack's life. When I stopped to think of my own life as a garden....I thought of how messy it was prior to my baptism. And even now....it is a mess because my old self likes to creep in like weeds. But as I continually surrender to God, each day this garden becomes more and more beautiful, it becomes more and more as God intended it to be. So, this illustration allowed me to see that God still has an incredible work to do...and I need to let him do it. Just as I need to let him love me. For it is thorugh his love that this work will be done.
ok...this next one is one I might need a little help with...responsibility and expectation. It wasn't until reading another book that I came to a point of understanding responsibility and how God intended it to be...think of it more as Response Ability. Young uses the word Expectancy rather than expectation...but I haven't fully grasped this one. Is it suppsed to be expectancy of what is to come or what is to happen? Not quite sure.

Though this book is fiction, the illustration of Father, Son and Holy spirit living out mutual submission and the healing process of the wounds and false self in our life is powerful enough to change our mindest. It is powerful enough for us to step out of the traditions of men and intot he truth of God. So.....dwell on it, and let it sink in. Let these words shape your life and inspire and motivate further study of God's word, letting that too change your life.