The Shack

This morning I read the book The Shack. This "novel" reads like a non-fictional account of a man who has an encounter with God. The main character has a difficult childhood, to say the least, and then suffers the tragic loss of one of his children. He is angry and depressed (understandably) and feels distanced from God. He then has the opportunity to spend a weekend visiting with the persons of the trinity. What he learns is enlightening and encouraging and very thought provoking for the reader.

The message that I got from the book is that we are called to Love and to Serve. This is not a new message to me. I have believed this for a long time. Knowing this and living this out everyday fully are two different things altogether, however.

This book challenges the reader to truly look at his/her relationship with God, their thoughts on organized religion and what it means to be a Christian. While I didn't necessarily draw all of the same conclusions as the author, I did find the book to "ring true" on many counts. I know I will spend the next several days mulling over several of the books ideas in my mind. I may even have to reread several passages for clarity.

Thanks Mom for suggesting this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Next up... Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis.