On April 28th, I posted a review of The Shack by William P Young. It has been two weeks since that post and I still find myself reflecting on the book. In my initial review, I noted that this book didn’t change my life because, honestly, it wasn’t life-altering for me. But, to say that it has been thought-provoking is an understatement. When a book continues to remain on my mind for days and weeks after I have completed it, as The Shack has done, then I know the message has gone deeper than words can convey.

The main messages that have remained with me since I read this book are these:

Forgiveness – In this novel, the main character, Mack, has to come to terms with making peace with the death of his daughter. He has to find a pathway to forgiveness in order to attain any sort of peace. He has been encumbered by a “Great Sadness” to the extent that the sadness became his very identity. His very soul was being darkened by sorrow, hatred and bitterness. Coming to a place of healing for his heart and soul was not easy. I appreciated the way the book didn’t sugar-coat what he was going through nor make light of the struggles he faced in his faith in the aftermath of his daughter’s death. His struggles were so real and the way he worked through them were emotionally raw and powerful. That element really touched me and made a lasting impression upon my heart.

Redemption - In this novel we learn that Mack has struggled basically all his life. He had a rough and terrible childhood and a hard upbringing. He made his own way in the world and in many ways overcame his past, but it still haunts him daily. He loves his family and is broken by his inability to protect his daughter from death. By grace Mack goes through a process of finding his way to feeling worthy of forgiveness and embracing the love of God. That really pulled on my own heartstrings. I sometimes feel that as a sinner, I don’t have any right to God’s love, but that is absolute incorrect thinking on my part. God doesn’t ask us to earn His love, but He does ask us to accept it. And, forgiveness also comes so freely from God. He doesn’t hold onto our sins, but we hold onto them ourselves making us captive to them. This novel beautifully demonstrates the need to let go and give ourselves completely over to God.

Love - We’ve all heard it said that “God is love” and The Shack resounds that message very beautifully. There are times when the emotional charge of the display of love is emotionally raw and I found that to be the most beautiful message in the story. As parents, we love our children to the depth of our very souls. And, yet, I know that I am guilty of neglecting to remember that I am God’s child and He loves me even more than that.

I don’t want to say much more about the book because I am trying to be extra careful not to give too much away for those that haven’t read it yet. Several staff members at our church are all abuzz about this book! I’ve also had some interesting conversations with others that have read it.I hope that anyone that reads this will pick up a copy of this book. I am not going to say that it will change your life or anything, but I will tell you that it will leave a message on your heart.

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The Shack By William P. Young / Windblown Media Mackenzie Allen Philips’ youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his “Great Sadness,” Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend. Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack’s world forever. In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant “The Shack” wrestles with the timeless question, “Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?” The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him. You’ll want everyone you know to read this book!

The Shack By William P. Young / Windblown Media Mackenzie Allen Philips’ youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his “Great Sadness,” Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend. Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack’s world forever. In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant “The Shack” wrestles with the timeless question, “Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?” The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him. You’ll want everyone you know to read this book!

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Kelly’s Review:

I purchased this book over the weekend after reading a recommendation for it in a friend’s online journal. I actually didn’t set out to get it, but we were at Lifeway and when I saw it I remembered her recommendation, so we bought it. I’m so glad we did!! This book tells an amazing story and the messages contained within it are truly powerful.

I am mixed on how to properly review The Shack because at different points in the book, I had different reactions to it. There were times when I was saddened by the events of the story. There were times when I was moved. There were times when, honestly, I was confused. There were even times when I felt it was going way out in an weird direction. But, it kept pulling me in and pulling me back to reading. The story and the messages are powerful. Even through sadness, confusion, oddity and even elation, I just felt like I was supposed to be reading the book. I felt that I needed to take in the overall message and not get lost in the subtleties elsewhere. And, I did. I had to force myself to put it down at times and take a break from reading. I had to make myself slow down and embrace the message. And, yes, sometimes I had to make myself pick it back up again. It was worth it all. I came through this book with such an uplifted spirit.  I’m so glad I read it and I can recommend it without any reservation whatsoever. This book didn’t change my life, but it touched my heart and gave me some beautiful insights that I appreciate so much. That is what I would like to see shared with others.

I may have more to share on this later. But, for now these are the words that have come to me and I hope they are adequate to express how much I enjoyed this book. It blessed my heart and I have no reservation in recommending it to others.