“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” (Ephesians 3:20 NLT)
The first time this book was passed to me to read was several years ago after my Uncle Michaels funeral. He had spent the last part of his life in a wonderful recovery house with a Christian family who showed Michael what it meant to be loved by not only the Lord, but by others too. Outside of his family, these amazing people, became his closest friends and undoubtedly part of his happiest memories. The funeral they helped to arrange was a testament to the love they felt for him and was one of the first times I really understood the impact of God on peoples lives. I am blessed to have met them and it was here after reading a poem I had wrote for my uncle, that I was told of my gift of writing that God had intended me to use to help people. Looking back now, it was a comment that I thought nothing more of, but in recent months has made absolute sense. The family from this house gave my mum this book called The Shack and she passed it to me, knowing I would devour it in an instant. Strangely though, I was unable to make it past the first quarter of the book.
I don't want to give too much of the plot away, its imperative that you read it yourself so the message from it can reach your heart as it finally has done mine. When I first attempted to read it, I wasn’t in a place to welcome any kind of divine inspiration, no matter how 'non-religious' the book was set out. In fact, that is the very beauty of its words. You are reading something that your heart has always yearned to hear, but I think you have to be ready to hear it. For whatever reason, that was not the time. When Anja then mentioned this book to me a month or so ago, I reordered it online and settled down to read it. I did not realise it was the same book, till a couple of chapters in, but this time there was no hesitation in me to continue to unravel the tale.
The book took me two days to read. I was gripped from cover to cover and in all honesty the beauty of the story is still weaving its way into my heart, even after I closed its covers. It is one of those books that will undoubtedly change your perception on not just God and faith, but life, with all its struggles and successes. In its rare and gripping unfolding, I found myself crying and rejoicing in the very realisation that I am human and that this is possibly the greatest gift of all. My belief systems were rocked to their very core and in them a seed of divine hope was planted and each further word watered it into a blooming plant of unrecognisable strength and glory. You can not finish reading this book, without feeling the purest form of love flit through your system like a radioactive wave, connecting you to life itself and its many wonders. I am still tearful, those deep healing tears that were finally able to be released as the pages were turned.
It is in reflection of this book, of its new perspective, of its undeniable truth that I was able to walk free from some of the prejudices about faith and God that I didn’t even realise I had. I was not prepared for the unveiling of what the truth could look like if I just listened to my inner voice all along. I challenge anybody to read it and not be changed, not be freed from the often unnecessary constraints we put on both our life and our expectations of both ours and others purpose and existence. It is more than words on faith, it is a clearing of the confusion of our often cluttered minds and a way of looking at the world in a more majestic and strangely to me, more realistic way. I urge you to read it, but do not be put off if you are not yet ready to finish its pages, I wasn’t at first. Now, was the perfect time for it to be a part of my life, because the insights have healed what they needed to at this point in my existence. To find out more you can go to http://www.theshackbook.com/, a recommended website that it seems only fair to direct you too.
As I said, I am an avid reader and since reading that, I have already started reading another book, called 'Conversations with God - Book 1'. I am not yet going to review this as found the same issue as I originally encountered with the book above, it is not yet my time to understand the knowledge it has to impart. Whilst proving interesting, I feel that God is opening my mind and understanding in other directions. Its comforting that I am now beginning to recognise Him within me and in light of this, he directed me to another book I recently ordered on my shelf, called 'The Purpose Driven Life.' It is a 40 day journey which aims to help us find Gods purpose for our lives and was recommended by a man I met on my first night at the Alpha course. Maybe this is the right place I need to be to hear the next part of my journey, so I will follow that urge and see where it leads me. My ears now feel clearer than ever and I realise now that God was always communicating with me, I just wasn’t always ready to listen. I think that’s the same for a lot of people. But when it is time, the beautiful; unfolding of both His life and yours opens you up for the journey of a lifetime. I am truly being blessed.
Love Always.x
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