As most of you know, I have been reading The Shack over the last few weeks.
What? You didn’t know that?
Well I have.
So now, the time comes for me to weigh in on my thoughts.
Personally, I loved the book. I know it is a controversial book, with some people not agreeing with the message, and others feeling mislead by the style.
I went into the book knowing it was a work of fiction. So is Pilgrim’s Progress. It does not make the book any less moving or spiritual.
I can truly say that The Shack changed my life.
There are only two books I can say that about, and coincidentally they are both spiritual/religious books.
2. Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World
Both of these books had a great impact on how I viewed spirituality and my personal relationship with Christ.
The Shack had an even greater impact.
The way the author portrays the Holy Trinity and Jesus’ relationship with God is incredible. He weaves a story, so brilliant and believable, that it brings you to tears at points and highs of exhilaration at others.
My favorite part was how he noted that ‘on Papa’s hands he (Mac) saw the same marks as on Jesus’ hands’ when he explained that God never forsook, nor left Jesus on the cross. He instead wrapped him in his arms and was pierced with the nails as well. It reiterates the point that God will never leave us, nor forsake us either. He will always be there, wrapping us in his arms and holding us tight as we face controversy and sorrow, death and sadness. He is there when we experience true love, miracles and wonder as well. He loves us as we love our own children.
It is said that there is no greater love than that of a mother and a child. After reading this book, I tend to disagree. I truly believe that God loves us greater than we, as humans, can comprehend. If you know the love of a mother, or you are a mother yourself, just stop and think; if you had created something with your own hands, and not just your body, how much you would love it. How much God must love us, to create us in his image, and give us this wonderful world to live in.
A world full of peanut butter, running shoes and spinach.
You knew I had to go there, didn’t you?
Sorry, but truly, those are things I LOVE, that would not be possible, had God not given them to us.
So, in conclusion I say, definitely read The Shack. It may present God in a whole new light, one you had never seen him in before. It may change your relationship with Him. Or, you may not like it at all, and totally disagree with me.
Hey, God made us all different for a reason.
He is still quite fond of us all in our own special way.
PS: The ending of the book? Incredible. Incredible.
This brought a smile to my face and tears to my eyes…I loved this book too! I loved when they talked of God wrapping you in His arms, I don’t think God’s love has ever been written so beautifully before this book!
I have been wanting to pick this book up and I always go to it at Barnes & Noble. Thanks sooo much for the review. I will be stopping at B&N tomorrow most likely.
I agree about The Message- I am reading it right now and it is life changing. It is so much easier for me to understand than my beautiful, but huuuuuge, ESV Study Bible.
Hope you have a beautiful day, love!
I haven’t read The Shack and I don’t have The Message Bible (yet) but thanks for sharing! I do love reading excerpts of The Message Bible, its just SO real!! You should try The Voice, its a New Testament translation that people seem to LOVE!
thanks for the review girl! my mom has actually raved about that book but i never read it because my mom is also the woman who hates peanut butter – so i obvs don’t trust her taste 😉 but now that i know my idol Whit loves it i may have to read!
Mom read the book and said she loved it.. It was a very different but like you said it helped her about the trinity.. BUT mom recently read something about the book and how it had some hidden things.. NOT BIBLICAL and that go against what god teaches.. So you may want to check into that..
I LOVED this book, loved it, loved it, loved it.
I need to read it again. There were so many moments that I wish I could experience exactly like in the book – I’m secretly hoping I get an anonymous invitation in the mail to go to the Shack 🙂
I definitely can see why this fictional story could upset some people, especially regarding how the Trinity is presented, but I thought it was wonderful.
How cool to think that maybe it could be this way, for real. I mean, there are just so many things we don’t know, and I hope one day I get to have a huge breakfast with them as Mack did in the story.
Whit! Thanks for your book review! I cannot wait to read The Shack! And… also, the Mary/Martha book (i’ve never heard of that one.. sounds great though)! Have you ever read “The Redeeming Love” by Francine Rivers?! That one is my favorite spiritual- fiction- but based off of the Bible!!! LOVE IT!
My friend just finished reading this and went on and on about how much she LOVED It. She said it was life changing. 🙂 I’m borrowing it from my sister when she’s done! Thanks for the review.
I may have to check this book out after your review 🙂
thanks for stopping by my blog woman! i’ll fur sur be adding you to mine as well!
Thanks for sharing this, Whit. I might just have to go and read this now. And Having a Mary Heart In a Martha World. I enjoy The Message paraphrase (or, I did until my dog chewed it up…when we first moved from a ranch into an apartment he got a bit crazy…ended up eating 3 Bibles in succession as well as my beloved cowboy boots and Buffy DVDs…sigh), but prefer the NLT. It’s a nice half-way point between being an accurate translation into English while also making sense to us modern folk.
Well, you hit close to home for me when you compare being a mother and how much you love something that came from your body. For me, we’re here to love and be loved – and if that’s the message this book conveys then I’m all over it. Thanks for the rec, gonna keep an eye out.
I knew when I wrote that, I might be stepping on some toes. Especially since I am not a mother myself, but I think a mother’s love is the closest thing to God’s love. It is the most powerful expression of human love, that is for sure. Either way, love is love, and this book is all about it.
I’m going to need to look into this book, it sounds fabulous! And I really want to pick up a copy of The Message Bible. Between my husband and I (I minored in Religious Studies and he LOVES analyzing the Bible and doing word studies and stuff) and the different Bible studies we’ve done and led, we have like 5 different versions (ESV, NIV, NASB, KJV, NLT, blah blah blah). Hopefully I’ll hear yes about a job tomorrow and I can go on a book-buying spree! 😉
P.S. I saw someone else recommend Francine Rivers Redeeming Love — AHHH LOVE this book!!! I’ve read that and The Shofar Blew and I need to read more of her books!!
Thanks for the book review!
Also, if you don’t mind giving me more details on this Eco/WLW thing ;)…. I have a PC so I got WLW but I truly can’t figure out how it saves time…. when I used it once it just seemed to give me a hard time with pix and otherwise was just like a regular WordPress post. Am I doing it wrong? Thanks for any tips Whit!
Have a great one!
You can post my fundraising link anywhere! 😉 Thanks, girl.
Whitney,
I love your post today! I also have read The Shack and it made a huge impact on me as well. It is amazing how much God loves us. We could never earn or deserve that Amazing Love!
God Bless,
Doris
🙂
You are so right. Even though I didn’t like how the author gave the impression that the work is non-fiction (I knew it was fiction, but that confused the heck out of my sister), it is still a life-changing book. A person comes away from it with a whole new sense on how God feels about you personally.
Wow, you definitely make me want to read that book. Thanks for the review, girl!
Thanks for the review!! I’ve debated reading this book for awhile but now I think I’ll definitely go buy it! Oh and I agree with what a few other girls said, you should try Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. Such an amazing book! The Atonement Child by Francine Rivers is amazing as well…it’s also about a mother’s love for a child and intertwines that love with Gods love for us. Thanks again for your review.
I’ve been thinking about reading this for a while, just to busy right now and reading “Dont Waste your life” by John Piper a Minneapolis pastor. I think I need to go to the library though or buy it It’s always nice to here those words of how He will NEVER leave us or forsake us. Thanks!
[…] by Whit I am glad that you guys enjoyed my review of The […]
I loved the shack and totally agree that it is life changing. I need to read it again, it’s been awhile. The love in it is just so amazing, made me see everything in a new light! Another life changing book I have read is This Was My Life, can’t remember the author, I have it but let someone borrowed it and I can’t remember who…if I find it I will let you know should you want to read it. Love ya, Julie
i also recently finished the book and loved it! i think its great to have different perspectives on Jesus, because quite frankly – just like how different foods work for different people – different ways of seeing, experiencing and communicating with Jesus work differently.
if we could all accept these differences and love, the world would be such a better place 🙂
that was really deep…but it’s how i feel!
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