book review - The Shack

So something you may or may not know about me is that I love to read, a lot. That being said I decided to start sharing what I have read and what I thought about it sooo, here goes:

Title: The Shack
Author: Wm Paul Young
Summary: Father of four with a painful childhood loses his youngest daughter. Four years later, he gets a mysterious note, possibly from God, to return to the scene of the crime. There God helps him understand why there is pain in this world, and why God doesn't stop it from happening.

First let me say that I have walked past this book several times, and as soon as I read that his youngest daughter was abducted and murdered I put the book back down. I have daughters and I almost felt as if I acknowledged something tragic like is then it makes me susceptible to something tragic like this. I don't know if that makes any sense to you but... anyways.

So I have been rejecting this book for some time, but a couple days ago hubby said "Get yourself something to read while you are at Wal-Mart" this is what I found.

Don't be afraid to read this book. It touches so many emotions, humor, pride, sadness and joy just to name a few. There is an open dialogue between the main character and God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. It shows us how much easier it is to do things with Jesus than with out. If shows that you aren't the only one ever to be angry with God and that he loves you still. It teaches that God has no expectations of you, only that you trust in him with as little or as much as you have . Let me emphasize that again, NO EXPECTATIONS. He already knows every horrible decision you have made, every bad decision you will make and already he has forgiven you for it. Long before you acknowledge you've made the mistake and even longer before you've forgiven yourself for making it. It's that amazing?

When I read this at one point I thought to myself, I should grab a highlighter, and then promptly DIDN'T. If I had I would have shared some awesome passages, but of course now I can't find them... I also don't want to give away the entire book. The entire book is not "deep" there are some really humorous parts too, like when the main character, God, the Son, and the holy spirit sit down for dinner and the main character bows his head for prayer, the trinity all look at him and laugh. Realizing that they probably don't bow their heads and thank themselves.

So, yes it was a great book, great for someone new to faith that is still trying to understand the trinity, someone more mature in their faith and can talk to Jesus like a friend. For someone with no faith at all, it's possible it could plant a small seed in a lost soul.

So I say if you get the opportunity, read it. I actually want to re-read it now with my highlighter this time! :-)