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first off, i apologize that i have not written in so long. pure laziness on my part, i kept thinking, “oh ill do it later.”

anyways, i am reading the book, the shack, right now. i know what youre probably thinking, “is she even a christian?” haha. yes i am a believer, and i have grown to really appreciate this book.

the shack is a story of how god is committed to his children and will do anything to draw them back to himself. its about this man named mack who is so mad at god because of the ways god has failed him: giving him an abusive alcoholic father and having a daughter abducted and murdered. seriously, who would not be bitter about that being their life story?

well god being god allures him into the desert (hosea) in order that mack will one day return to god. and of all the places they meet, its at the shack that his youngest daughter was raped and killed. miserable. hell no would i want to go and meet god where god displayed his abandonment to me most.

but at this shack mack learns that god has never, not even once, abandoned him. he meets god (this is where all the controversy begins) because god appears to him outside of macks own religious stereotypes and baffles macks own mind that god is neither male nor female, cannot be defined, or put into a box. and mack learns of gods tender heart towards him. that god has loved, deeply deeply loved mack since the beginning. and his father and daughter were not mere punishments for not being godly enough. they were simple products/outcomes of a fallen world. a fallen world that was asked for because man wanted independence from god. i love this line in the book where jesus is telling mack, “You demanded your independence, and now youre angry with the one who loved you enough to give it to you.”

we sinned against god. and we dont get the punishment. christ did. seriously?

yes i understand that this back does not fit nicely into systematic theology. but, this book simply displays gods heart for his people and how  god suffers with his people. it has helped me see that god has not left me in my pain. he really holds me me it and walks with me. i know it sounds so clique, but its whats true. god has been with me every step of the way: helping dad walk while he was still home,  in the hospital holding dads hand, and holding holding his cold hand after he died. and god continues to be with me as i learn how to do life without my dad.

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