"The Shack" Notes --Day 137/10/3

Looking at a few other blogs, I've seen some wickedly good humor. Perhaps that is a bad word to describe it, but it'd be nice if I could inject some of that into my blog. On the other hand, I am taking this being positive/daily blogging/daily bible reading experiment as serious (pun partially intended) as possible. Maybe I could have a little more fun with it though. We shall see.


I finally finished my note-taking from "The Shack". After reading it the first time, I had taken a few notes before deciding I'd like to read it through without stoppages. The second time I read it, I started when the main character gets to the shack and took a bunch of notes. I had felt tempted to blog some of my notes on here before I was finished, but I decided to wait till I was done.

Every note I took, I felt there was at least a modicum of truth in it. As the author puts it, "Perhaps if some of it is not actually true in one sense, it is still true nonetheless." Another phrase from the author that may describe these notes is "If anything matters, then everything matters." Some just tripped me up a little. Others affected me deeply. Most of them showed me something in a different way and led to a better understanding of my faith, which I believe was the point of book whether it is a true vision or not.

Adam had told me yesterday that he tries to get as much out what he learns as he can when reading the Bible. He tries to engrain himself very deeply in what he reads. That's the same thing we're asked to do by Jim Kirkland, our bible study professor. If I can be affected by and learn as much from this book, then I know there is so much more to learn in the Bible. Both the class and "The Shack" will help me read the Bible in the right mindset. Thank you, Jesus.

"The Shack" Notes

There are times when you choose to believe something that would normally be considered absolutely irrational.

God is with everyone all the time; even in their worst moments.

In order to find a way out of darkness, one must learn to live loved.

You can be so utterly lost that you can take what is simple and make it complex. (this one is SO me.)

You don't have to have it all figured out (Dennis keeps telling me this). Just be with Jesus.

It does the soul good to let the waters run once in a while--the healing waters.

We are "free to leave" whenever we want. God is not interested in prisoners.

Freedom does not mean we are allowed to do whatever we want to do. Only God can truly set us free. The truth will set us free and The Truth has a name: Jesus.

Regardless of what we "feel", God never leaves us.

Why the emphasis on "Father"? Once Creation was broken, true fathering would be more lacking than mothering. An emphasis on fathering is necessary because of the enormity of its' absence.

"When all you see is your pain, perhaps you lose sight of Me?"

The God who is cannot act apart from love.

Jesus would've died if it were only for me, but it wasn't.

God can choose to limit Himself so as to facilitate and honor our relationship. It is not about being superior, but about love and respect.

God is three persons, and each of the three is fully and entirely The One. If He were simply One God and One Person, then we would find ourselves without love and relationship.

"I'm so sorry that you, that Jesus, had to die."

Holy Spirit--creativity, action, the breathing of Life, God's spirit.

We are the very center of His love and purpose.

"Being" always transcends appearance.

"...hear me clearly. You are not lost." (that's comforting to know)

God does not need to punish people for sin. Sin is its own punishment, devouring you from the inside. It is not His purpose to punish it; it is His joy to cure it.

The Trinity is a "circle of relationship", not a chain of command.

Don't confuse adaptation for intention or seduction for reality.

Broken humans center their lives around things that seem good to them.

I enjoyed the metaphor of the Holy Spirit cleaning out the garden (Mack's soul) including the roots.

Rumors and glory are often hidden inside of what many consider myths and tales.

Only God can judge. Only he knows good from evil. (very important to realize)

A child is protected because she is loved, not because she has the right to be protected.

We are all guilty of judging almost everyone we meet and many we have not, based on appearance or actions or whatever state of mind or prejudice that supported the need to exalt ourselves.

If we feel God is "to blame" for anything, we are unfairly judging Him.

"Could I go instead? If you need someone to [die], I'll go in their place. Could I do that? Please let me go for my children, please, I would be happy to...Please, please, please...
"Now you sound like Jesus. You have judged well. You have judged them worthy of love even if it costs you everything." (awesome allusion to what Jesus did.)

"You demanded your independence, and now you are angry with the one who loved you enough to give it to you."

I need help.

I can't do it alone.

Judgment is not about destruction, but setting things right.

He wondered who he would be now that he was letting all that go. (I wondered that as well.)

"The darkness hides the true size of fears and lies and regrets," Jesus explained. "The truth is they are more shadow than reality, or they seem bigger in the dark. When the light shines into the places they live inside you, you start to see them for what they are."
"Why do we keep all that crap inside?"
"Because we believe it's safe there. You grow up on the outside, but on the inside, you're still that kid in the dark cave surrounded by monsters."

"In your pain, you assume the worst of Me."

Pearls (pearly gates). The only precious stone made by pain, suffering and finally--death.

"My church is all about people and life is all about relationships."

"When you start to sink, let me rescue you."

Mack was thinking of friends, church people who had expressed love to him and his family. He knew they loved Jesus, but were sold out to religious activity and patriotism. (Hmmmm....)

"Most roads don't lead anywhere. I will travel any road to find you."

Just because God works incredible good out of unspeakable tragedies, doesn't mean he orchestrates the tragedies.

Grace does not depend on suffering to exist, but where there is suffering you will find grace in many facets and colors.

Jesus came to show who He is and most folks only believe it about Him. (and not God, the Father)

It is not the nature of love to force a relationship, but it is the nature of love to open the way.

Faith does not grow in a house of certainty.

"You will begin to better recognize my voice as we grow our relationship."

Paradigms power perception and perceptions power emotions. (Paradigms = what you believe)

Just because you believe something firmly, does not make it true. Be willing to reexamine what you believe.

"You will see me in the Bible in different ways. Look for relationship--a way of coming to be with us."

You won't find the word "responsibility" in the scriptures. It is full of law and fear and judgment. The "ability to respond" is alive and dynamic--full of life and possibility . The same is true of expectancy. When loved ones are apart, there is an expectancy of being together, of laughing and talking.

God had no expectations of us. Why would He if he already knows what we will do? This also means He will never be disappointed in us.

He doesn't want to be at the top of a list of priorities; He wants to be the center of everything in our lives--family, friends, occupations, thoughts, and activities.

God could prevent suffering by 1) not having created at all or 2)actively interfering in our circumstances. The first is not an options and the second is not done for reasons we may not understand.

For us to forgive someone is for us to release them to God and allow Him to redeem them.

Forgiveness is not about forgetting, nor does it create a relationship.

Because of Jesus, there is now no law demanding God bring our sins back to mind.

Thank you for the daily lessons, Jesus.