Today I was reading “The Shack” by William P. Young. It is one of the only books that I have read more than once.
Several years ago this book crossed my path when I was hitting a sales record, from an author who came out of nowhere. When I heard the story line and about the personification of God in the book, I refused to be a part of even reading it. Ironically, I received a copy as a gift with a small dedication that read: “To Shirley, God says He is very fond of her. Celebrate life, Gary Sinclair.” In an effort not to diminish the gift and with my husband’s advice that “it was a really good story,” I made the effort to start reading it. (Thanks Gary!)
From the beginning I found flaws. The author was too detailed in his descriptions of the uniform herb, for my liking. The main character spoke of “millions of years” instead of thousands of years: “I really couldn’t be a true Christian!” I thought, judging, as if I could determine those things … who did he think I was? (The point here is that I judged the basis of their Christianity. I believe the society has existed for six thousand years, unless the Lord shows me otherwise, which He could because only He knows.)
Shortly after struggling with the duty of having to read it, I finally stopped and tossed it onto a shelf in my room. Two years later, as if by chance … God brings me to a point in my life where I am faced with my own “hut”. In the midst of His plans, He asks me to meet the author at a local church service in a nearby town in Florida.
Needless to say, Life slapped me when I heard Paul’s testimony about his life.
You can see his testimony in the link below.
A life full of suffering and pain, Paul’s testimony pierced my heart and somehow attracted me and gave me hope. A conversation at the end of the service served to confirm everything he had heard the previous hour. I knew in my heart that this man was real. Perhaps one of the few real people I have ever met in my life. I remember his warm hug as the closest thing to a hug from our Father, God.
This second time in reading the book, I paused … pondering the quote that Paul Young includes at the beginning of chapter 5.
“We routinely disqualify the testimonies that advocate a mitigation. That is, we are so persuaded of the correctness of our judgment as to invalidate the evidence that does not confirm us in it. Nothing that deserves to be called truth could ever reach such means. “Marilynne Robinson, The Death of Adam
I reflected on all the times that I prevented others from telling the truth in their lives, because in fact I was so persuaded (who persuades us to believe lies?) To believe that I was right. Deep down he believed (he would not have admitted it, of course) that things could only be as he had learned or experienced them. So, if in simple matters someone told me that the shirt was red, I would argue (not always out loud) that it was a bright orange-red. If in more complex matters, a fellow Christian said that he speaks in tongues or that God speaks to him, he would ignore it because it is not what he had learned so far.
Can you imagine the nonsense of this? Ignoring something simply because it hadn’t been my experience.
Well, I have learned that God has a time for everything and everyone. That moment is different because He chooses when to teach each of His children His truths. Our Father is not like the school system that teaches by educational grades. In that system, a child must learn everything in the scope and sequence of the level before continuing or else they will not pass. We are the ones who have put God in a box, choosing to be Lord in our own hearts, determining the truth in a way that makes us feel safe.
How willing are we for God to show us beyond what he has already taught us? How fit for teaching are we? What blessings have we held back as a result of not allowing him to teach us more? And how much more of His nature and character could we learn if we allowed Him to teach us outside of ourselves?
I had to repent before the Lord. I recognized that my god had not been the real God. My god was very small. I was not small by nature, but I had made it that way with my proud attitude. The true knowledge and wisdom of God is infinite and is far beyond our limited knowledge. You want to share your knowledge with us, but we must allow it. He wants us to know His Grace and all that that means!
Be willing …