Lived Up to the Hype

Over the weekend I read The Shack which several had recommended to me. I started and couldn't put it down. I read until wee hours of the morning to finish the story...which is something I haven't done in years because no book has compelled me to give up my sleep.

Like most who have read it, I too cried through it. Like most folks who work in churches I found the images refreshing (although not new). Many in churches are tired of 'church' and 'religion' and want to get back to powerful experiences of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit especially because they are life-changing and life-giving as opposed to the endless monotony of 'the institution.'

For many of us the book affirms our own experiences of a God who richly dwells within us, who speaks to us, who loves us, and who compels us to surrender our lives to Christ.

Some will find the concepts of the Trinity completely new and eye-opening. But for me it was much more of a reminder to work at mastering what I have yet to work on in my relationship with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
Read the book, have tissues ready and be prepared to finish it in one sitting. A long time ago, I read Jonathan Livingston Seagull. This book is very different, yet I left it feeling uplifted and wanting more in my relationship with God. And again, I'm seeing myself and the world a little differently.