The Shack

While I was in TX, my brother gave me a book to read, The Shack. He instructed me to finish it, which is good for me because I rarely finish reading anything. Wow, what a struggle I had with God while I was reading this. For three days I could do nothing else. For three days I struggled with my own "Great Sadness." Actually I am still dealing with my own "Great Sadness" but I now know about it and I can face it, instead of running away from it.

Matthew 5:43ff, Jesus says, "You have heard that the law of Moses says, 'Love your neighbor' and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For He gives His sunlight to both the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the just and on the unjust, too. If you love only those who love you, what good is that? ...You are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect."

Here is the deal; God loves everyone. It does not mean that everyone is saved, for that is their decision. It does mean that He loves them. He wants everyone to find Him. He wants everyone to listen to His voice.

In The Shack, the father had to learn to let go of his daughters murder. He was holding on to his "Great Sadness" because he did not think it was right for him to move on. How could he live without the hate that he had for her abuser? How could he function without that feeling wailing up inside of him? Was it okay for him to let his daughter go, was it okay not to hate her killer? The struggles that he had with God; the learning time that he had with Him; the walks and talks that he had with his Father were amazing. All of his questions and all of his feelings that he had brought so many emotions to the surface for me. I cried as I read the torment that he was going through.

How can all of the bad happen? How can He let this go on? It is because He loves everyone. He can see the hurt that each person has gone through. He has been with each person from the beginning. He can understand why hurting people hurt people. He is calling everyone, but not everyone is listening. How can he choose to let go of anyone? Which of your own children would you give up on? Which one would you say should die today? If we cannot do that, how can we expect the one who is love to do the same?

He is calling us to a higher standard. He is calling us to love everyone, even those that have hurt us. How can I hold on to that hate any longer? I cannot keep opening up my box of my own "Great Sadness" and living in the past. No one is hurting me any more. I have a relationship with the One who is Love. "You are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." He is perfect in His love. He can look past what the person is doing and see the pain that is causing that person to act that way. When I see someone acting a certain way; when I am hurt because of someone and how they are treating me; I am to love them anyway. I am to look at that person through the eyes of God and see that person as one of His children. It is not about me. It is not about what has happened to me. It is not even about my health issues. I cannot ask why, about any of it? I am called to love in spite of it all. I am to love Him no matter what happens to me, because when we turn on His children, we are really turning on Him. When we question Him, we are accusing Him of not taking care of us; of not loving us. He loves all of us. He has been with all of us from the very beginning. When we question God, we are questioning His love for us. He loves each and every one of us. He is Sovereign. His love is just. His love is perfect. He loves you.