Comments on: The Shack – update – Background #1

By: Kelly

Kelly — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 07:09:01 +0000

Hi, I am reading your book for the first time and am halfway through it. My boyfriend told me it was one of the books he was planning on getting me for my birthday (last March, so it’s been a while!) and we saw it at Costco last week. I can honestly say that I have had a hard time putting it down. I have never been really religious but have always believed in God, that “He” loves us and is all around us. The things that God says in The Shack put it into a whole new perspective. My boyfriend and very close friend are both pastor’s children and I am planning on passing The Shack to both of them, as well as their parents as I think this is such an honest and totally unrealistic approach to what God would say. I say that because most people would never say that God would say what “He” does in your book, however once you read it you wonder how you never thought of it yourself. In the last week since starting your book some ridiculous but awfully bad luck things happened to me and I was able to take comfort just telling myself “He is my love and my relationship”…I did have to say this quite a few times but eventually it kind of did the trick!
I cannot wait to finish your novel and look forward to other works. Thank you for writing your book and sharing your thoughts/experiences with us. Will definitely look into any speaking engagements you have in Portland as I live in LO. Thank you again Willie, it has truly been a pleasure to read your thoughts!!!

By: Sandra

Sandra — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 21:44:31 +0000

I just finished reading The Shack. I Loved it! It really teaches you about Love, Forgiveness and having faith in God. God is always with us, just like Papa, Jesus and Sarayu with Mack. I incourage everyone to read this book!

By: Sunny Aldrich

Sunny Aldrich — Fri, 29 May 2009 04:51:29 +0000

Oh! I was so caught up in the beautiful metaphor, I forgot the most important part!! Thank you, for reaffirming with your story what I’ve always known in my heart. That God is love… that a God who loves His children could never coldly condemn us to hell for slighting Him… that the “rules” imposed on us by society and religion in order to be redeemed aren’t God’s true nature… that the friendship I forged with God as a child in my fumbling ignorance was intuitive, pure and more “right” than 99% of what I learned once I was old enough to seek out religion on my own.

All my life, I have sought God, only to be repelled by the parts of religion that conflicted with what I knew to be the truth in my heart. I have asked many learned and pious people the very questions that you have finally given me the answers to. I have wrestled with my own losses in life and struggled to explain why I still cling to a faith in my heart that makes no sense in my head.

I cannot imagine anyone reading The Shack and not being convicted by the truth revealed in the incredible tapestry of your story. And to know that it’s only a tiny part of the fractal, is even more amazing.

Again… thank you!

Sunny in AK

By: Sunny Aldrich

Sunny Aldrich — Fri, 29 May 2009 04:43:41 +0000

Paul, there seem to me to be more metaphors in The Shack and in your life than you ever could’ve intended. You wrote this story to teach your children about your own nature and the nature of God, just as God wove the stories of the Bible to teach all of His children about his nature.

That you didn’t intend it as an instrument for your own glory or commerce, but as a gift of love for your children, is exactly what makes it what it is. If someone had attempted to write such a story for their own personal gain, they would’ve failed miserably. This story is born of pure love and selflessness, which is why it has touched so many and will continue to do so.

All I can say is… thank you!

Sunny
Wasilla, AK

By: Gonne Asser

Gonne Asser — Mon, 11 May 2009 07:21:47 +0000

Willie -

Where to begin??!! Reading for the past hour the Bride’s comments above gives me such amazing peace for in these comments we see Sarayu’s inbiding in the breathing church. Apart from my own sold out for God experience with reading this journey, it’s plain to see that Lovers of Jesus are wrecked by this beautiful, pure agape, unconditional love experience with God, Father/Holy Spirit/Jesus. Through this journey that you Willie have faithfully guided us, the indwelling Holy Spirit is WILDLY and PERFECTLY resonating through all of us – isn’t that AMAZING???!!! – we the church collectively recognize our Papa, Sarayu and Jesus! The Shack effectively is breaking down hundreds of years of differing theological views which have divided us, is healing our confused religiousity and is returning us to the spiritual lifegiving personal relationship with our God. Praise GOD!!!!

Sowed: The Shack
Reaped: Heartful Gratefulness, Metanoia, Awash in His Peace, In Love with my Family, Active Forgiveness, Delicious Patience, Deep DESIRE and Passion for Jesus, Wastefulness of Grace, Purpose in Life to Know HIM and Reflect HIM so others can smell Him and WANT to Know and BE with HIM, In love with Sarayu who never pushes but is ALWAYS loving & giving & guiding, ABBA Father/Daddy/Papie the source of unconditional love, I love you!!!
Purpose Changing: “Wastefulness of Grace” That was pinnacle for me and has blown my cover of wanting earthly rewards.

I was purely at home in this book with Papa my delicious Father, Jesus my Saviour, and Sarayu my sweet Holy Spirit. When I came to understand through my spirit 6 years ago that Jesus (not Christianity) was the WAY, the Holy Spirit showed me that this earthly reality paled in comparison to the realness of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Sarayu’s opening of Mack’s eyes is exactly the way it feels – like now we see dimly and veiled. I have told many nonbelievers that though unexplainable the spiritual experiences with God are more real than anything on this earth. Every blessed truth of God’s character that God has breathed through these pages was like an eternal homecoming – you gave words to my understanding of God’s indescribable, boundary breaking, heart healing, pure relational agape love!!! While I was reading (laughing and crying) I was gratefully thanking God for your amazing childlike love for your Papa…in your incredible brokeness and raw honesty you have drunk so deep into his well that his Glory is reflecting out in AMAZING exponential fractal beams of light.

Willie – your honest love for our Father has changed the world. I can’t contain my desire to spread this spiritual journey. I pray for those who don’t know Him yet to have their veils lifted through the “The Missy Project”.

Eternally Grateful,
Your sister in Christ,
Gonne (St Paul, MN)

By: Lois Easley

Lois Easley — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 15:22:10 +0000

Dear Shack Blog Readers, and Kairi Isse (Jan 09 comment) in particular:
Thank you for your generous window into your own spiritual journey in your comment.

It was helpful to me because I so loved The Shack and our heavenly Father, His Spirit and the Lord Jesus all used it greatly with my own heart. However, some close to me were concerned about the anti-church bias in the book. Your words at the end of your comment helped a lot.

We love Jesus’ Body, His Bride and we are that Bride–looking forward to a glorious Wedding. This piece matters immensely to all of us and to our Dear Bridegroom.

Thanks to “Willie” for his great gift to the Bride and his invitation to those who will be.

By: Ashley Coogle

Ashley Coogle — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 03:32:08 +0000

Establishing a relationship with God can be difficult at times. My whole life I was taught the things of God, what to do and what not to do, what is right and what is wrong, the commandments, Bible stories, the promises of God… I had knowledge and nothing more. I often felt like my relationship with God was lacking in some way that something was not adding up right, and so I had a difficult time finding my way to God. There was resentment for pain I had endured, there was hatred for heartaches, and there was a feeling of abandonment and emptiness that could not be filled. But, none the less, God led me down a path back into His arms. My relationship with God has not been as “real” or as “loving” as I would have hoped it would be. I was raised fearing God, being away of His wrath and his vengence, and hearing little of His loving nature.

After reading “The Shack”, I was awakened to the gross doctrinal mishaps of my life. I loved God out of fear, I respected God out of fear, I obeyed the law out of fear, I forgave out of fear, I even read my Bible to see what I needed to do to become the person God wanted me to be out of fear. But, now I understand. My God, Jesus, is not a God of fear and wrath and hate and punishment, but of love. He wants me to obey HIm because I love Him, He wants me to listen to Him becasue He loves me and He wants the best for my life, and life does happen. God has turned man over to a reprobate mind so that Jesus could redeem us, out of love- not out of vengence.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
You are a blessing.

By: DENISE JURADO

DENISE JURADO — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:08:27 +0000

THANK YOU, YHANK YOU, THANK YOU. LIFE CHANGING I FEEL SO BLESSED TO HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS. IVE ALWAYS BELIEVED IN GOD AND THE TRINITY BUT NOW NOW I HAVE SO MUCH MORE CLARITY. FORGIVENESS HAS ALWAYS BEEN HARD FOR ME IM PRAYING THAT WILL NEVER BE AN ISSUE AGAIN. HOW BLESSED WE TRULY ARE TO HAVE THEM ON OUR SIDE.BEAUTIFUL, YOU ARE A BLESSING. DEFINATELY A RE-READ.SUCH A SINCE OF PIECE I CARRY NOW. IM NOT LOST AND I AM NOT ALONE. IT MAKES ME CRY EVEN NOW. MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOURS NOW AND FOREVER.

By: Barb Chambers

Barb Chambers — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 10:31:39 +0000

I could not put this book down l cried alot for myself, my family and your’s. It’s hard sometimes to remember that God is with us and there’s a reason for everything in life that happens( good or bad) but we have to beleive he is with us, and also try and remember what Eckhart Tolle says “this to will pass” God bless you and your family and thanks so much for the great read l will have to read it again.

Barb C from Canada

By: Stan Thiemann

Stan Thiemann — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 02:27:59 +0000

I can’t recall ever blogging back to the author of a book that I read.

I didn’t especially like how the book began. I worried that it was going to turn out like a Hallmark Channel script. But I’m very glad that I persisted.

Your insights into the Trinity have profoundly disturbed some of my beliefs and perceptions about the nature of God and my relationships. I want to re-read and notate all of the conversations at the shack, because there’s so much there.

I now appreciate how the great sadness was Mack’s journey to Calvary, and that the road to reconciliation must progress through great difficulty to fully realize great peace.

Thanks for conceiving this story. As you can tell, it has touched many, and will continue to do so.

Soli Deo gloria