The Shack

I'm not too sure who I am anymore! My two most recent posts are about books... this is crazy and totally not like me. It's been a week since I finished reading The Shack. First of all, I loved it! I am not a person who typically reads for fun, but I was completely engaged from page to page (hey that rhymes) on our whirlwind trip to St. Louis.

I don't want to give away too much for those that haven't read it, but I will give you a little taste. The first part of the book is extremely difficult to read. It's like living inside an episode of Law and Order: SVU. The main character, Mack, suffers through a horrific tragedy and three years later gets a note asking him to visit the scene of the tragedy once again. I will warn you - have a box of tissues ready. Men, you too.

Once Mack gets to the Shack (rhyming again here), he is greeted by God. The author of this book portrays the trinity in a way that really makes sense to me. Growing up in the church, the trinity was attempted to be explained in many different ways (remember the egg, the apple, etc.) Good times. The author gives specific character traits to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit which I feel truly makes sense. All three of them together create God, but they play separate roles. They are bonded together through an unconditional loving relationship. Their wholeness is based upon loving one another. Isn't that the perfect model for us? In the story, Mack gets to know each part of the trinity in a distinct way that really helped me see God in a new light. The book deals with so many issues, but focuses strongly on helping people who are struggling with the question "Why do bad things happen to good people?"

If you haven't read it yet - I HIGHLY recommend going to get a copy today! The link above has the first part of the book online so you can get a taste for what it is like. I could go on and on talking about what I thought, but I would love to hear your thoughts on the book. What did you think?

On a side note, props to Mom who found the author of my quote:
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail. - Abraham Maslow (1908-1970)