...iShack...

Our son Patrick is in his last year at Purdue (Boiler-up!!). As we were coloring Easter eggs this weekend (Pat & I didn't even complain this time) the book "The Shack" came up in discussion. Pat commented that if I liked the book so much, why didn't I blog about it? I didn't have a good reply.

The book "The Shack" by William P. Young has created quite a buzz over the last year. There are hundreds of blogs, articles, discussion groups and Tweets about the book's theological accuracy and tons of noise for & against.

WARNING:...this is not really a review of the book. It's a review of me as I read the book. So here's my "iShack" (patent pending).

Page turner - I couldn't stop reading it, I had to fight to put it down. I'm a big fan of Grafton, Grisham, Clancy and enjoy being drawn into the tempo of a great book. The Shack starts right off with a current day mystery that just sucks you right in. More than a few times I extended my "stop reading" time by just "one more chapter".

Parts written for me - There were many times when I would feel "this is exactly what I wonder". I got the feeling the author intended the book for me. How could Willie know my issues, concerns and suspicions? ...but he did. The Shack started to become my story.

Emotional - OK, I admit that age has made me a bit of a sobber. The thought of Rudy going in for the last play or Marley at the vet's office will often produce a salty discharge from the corner of my eyes. Rarely does a book produce this effect, but The Shack did. I had to stop many times because the tears made me feel like I was reading through a prism. They weren't the typical "tears of sadness" or "tears of joy", they were different. To this day I still can't explain it...tears of understanding?...tears of comfort?...I don't know.

Weekend with the Trinity - I felt like I was spending the weekend with the "Father" (you'll get the humor if you read the book), Son and Holy Spirit. For a brief moment I was camping with 3 fishing buddies next to a secluded lake. There were jokes, pranks, good food and spending quiet time where inner thoughts were shared. I really felt love for the 3 of them.

Lasting Excitement - Have you ever felt sad after reading a really good book? Sad that it was over? Your feelings for the characters have stopped? You can't wait for the author's next book in the series? It was just the opposite with The Shack. The Trinity is alive, right now. I feel more intimate with them. I'm still in awe, but want to spend more time with them. Is it possible that I love them more?

The Shack is in the fiction section of the bookstore. It doesn't claim to be a textbook or 100% biblically accurate. It did increase my desire to dig into the Word. I pray differently, worship differently and feel differently about God. Only He knows what's happened in my heart, but I sense He'd give The Shack a thumbs-up for the impact it had on me.

So, there's my answer Pat!

Only God knows why
Only God....knows....why, why, why oh only God knows why
Kid Rock