I’ve never been much of a reader, actually not at all. Over the corse of my life I have read a total of books I could probably count on my hands. But month 3 of my race things shifted and I started reading. First The Giver then Redeeming Love and now 6 months later I’ve read a total of 10 books and I’m still reading.
Most people assume I love reading because I’m artistic and reading is a form of artistic expression, but I actually struggle with a bit of dyslexia and in my mind I jumble things quite a bit. Writing is another story and there is something about being on the other side of the page that flames my passion for writing. The Lord has changed my heart towards reading however and I am so thankful for it, because it has brought me to some of the best books, in my opinion, that have been written.
My most recent read was The Shack. You probably knew this was where I was going from the title of my blog. And if you’ve read the book you know that the mark it left on me was significant. If you haven’t read it, I would highly recommend. If you aren’t convinced to read it, continue reading my blog and hopefully by the end you will be.
Surprisingly there is a lot of controversial talk about this book and whether it’s true or not, but from my view I feel as though the way the trinity is perceived and the conversations had cannot be made up by mere human minds. So I am an avid supporter of this book and I fully believe that the events written about are very much true.
Basically the book is written about a man named Mack and his events in encountering the trinity in a weekend away at The Shack. The Shack is the place where his little girl, Missy, was murdered after being abducted from a weekend camping trip. Mack had a lot of anger and judgements towards God and his weekend away at The Shack was focused on breaking down his walls, asking the hard questions, and just being with God (Papa), Jesus, and The Holy Spirit separately and together.
It was touching and opened my eyes to a whole other dimension of viewing the trinity. Sometimes I hear stories like Mack’s and crazy encounters with God and visions and I become envious of those things. I have realized over the past 9 months that I do hear The Lords voice and has been able to recognize that and respond or sit in what He’s said. I’ve also had my eyes opened to the Wild Love He has for me and how passionately The Holy Spirit has pursued me in the past. My circumstances and what I’ve walked through in the past makes no sense that I am here in my walk with Him. But because of the constant pursuit and chase of me, I am. And I am thankful everyday because of it.
During one of my times in prayers after reading one of the chapters I was calling out to Jesus asking Him to give me what Mack was having with Him. Then with my head bowed in my knees and nearly in tears I had a vision of Jesus sitting in front of me, lifting my chin to face Him and with the sweetest, most tender voice He said, “ My Sweet Melody, you have that and I am right here with you.”
So simple and to the point but just what I needed in that exact moment.
From this book I have been opened to the Papa that I have and His constant pursuit of me, my past, and my future. I am more aware of the Spiritual realm of things going on around me, but instead of living in fear of that or focusing on that-just spending my days with Him. I have a deeper appreciation of His sacrifice along with Jesus’ and His deep wide love for me that is and will forever be constant. I see Jesus now as more of a best friend than I ever had before. A companion, a love, and a pal that is walking with me through all that life throws at me. With Jesus I can be real and share all that is inside of me and what I am experiencing. And lastly, The Holy Spirit; I hadn’t given much thought at all to The Holy Spirit or the role He plays in the trinity but in the book He is described as such a being that is beautiful, unique, colorful, hard to look at directly, and constantly changing. Not changing as in you can never depend on Him but changing as in always growing and becoming something that is personal to everyone. I think I relate to The Holy Spirit more now than I ever had because I see Him as a creative, artistic, Spirit that pursues and loves, and is always a presence with me. He is what I am able to communicate with now because of the gift of tongues, and He is what speaks to me when I am calling to hear from The Lord.
You could say that who I am as a daughter in Christ and a sister to Jesus and a dwelling place to the Holy Spirit has been completely altered for the better (or deeper).
I have such a zeal and wonder of God than I ever have before and when I think of Him and my thankfulness towards Him all I can do is fall on my face in praise in who He is and what He’s done for me. I feel so unworthy of the love He freely gives most days, but that is when I call upon Jesus and with Him I am able to accept it.
