Book Report: The Shack

The Shack
Paul Young
2007

This story begins in winter. There was a big snow storm.

Mack was not happy anymore. He lost everything after a vacation whit his children. Mack cannot whit sadness.

Mack went to the mountains with his children. While they were in the camp, Missy the youngest daughter was kidnapped.  A couple hours later, The FBI found her dress in a Shack. They knew that it was a serial killer.

Nothing was the same with Mack.  Nan, his wife, she could accept what happened for her faith in God. Their children just try to accept it.

3 years later, Nan and her children went on vacation with her sister and Mack stay at home. Mack found a letter where he is invited to go to the shack and the signature was from “Papa”. At first he thought it was his daughter’s killer trying to play with his mind. But at the same time the idea that the letter was from God was on his mind.

After thinking about it Mack decides to go to the shack. When he arrived it looks the same just as he remembered. Suddenly, the shack was another. It was a beautiful cabin. And there were 3 people there: an African-American woman, an Hispano man and an Asian girl. The woman called Mack by his name and told him that she is “PAPA”.

The truth was that the three of them were God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit looking for an encounter with Mack. Looking to realife his pain.  Mack and his family were believers. Although Mack’s faith was not strong as his wife’s. Mack had a hard childhood that made him not believe in God at all.

Mack was confused. But he decided to stay in the shack to talk with them. He had so much resentment because God had abandoned them. They have abandoned Missy.

With the greatest patience “papa” tried to explain him that they were always there. But he did not accept it in his life. Even though Mack spent time with Ellouisa (God) and Sarayu (Holy Spirit) he was more comfortable talking to Jesus  because he is a man.

Ellouisa, Sarayu and Jesus tried to explained to Mack that life does not mean anything if you don’t have God in your heart. Accepting God in your life means forgivness … that means he had to forgive Missy’s killer, forgive his father and forgive himself…

After talking and  crying all he had to cry, Mack decides to forgive the man who killed his daughter.

Finally he takes out his pain. Mack has an spiritual encounter with his daughter. He knew that she was fine. And thanks to Ellouisa, Jesus and Sarayu he was finally able to understand that he needed them in his life. And that nothing would be as before.

Mack had established a real relationship with God and on his way home, thinking about what happened in the shack, Mack has a car accident. He woke up in the hospital, with his family thinking that a week had passed; however, it was not like that. After thinking it.  He talk to Nan about what happened and she without questioning, she believes it. She knew that God would work in her husband’s life.

Mack: He is a man with a hard past. who loves his family. Little arrogant with a hardened heart.

Nan: a caring, loving wife, who loves God

Papa (Ellouisa): represents God all love

Jesus: He is sacrifice. Understanding.

Sarayu: she is all feeling

Quotes:

1.”When all you see is your pain, you lose sight of me.”

that means for me that when you go througt a bad situation and you feel alone, its because you dont see that God is always there. You just hace to look for him.

2. “You’re not stuck because you can’t, you’re stuck because you won’t. You don’t have to do this alone. I’m here with you.”

like the previous one, you dont have to spend your life without God. if you have a God in yours it will be easier. Full of love.

Recommendation

Obviously I recommend this book!!!

I know that I’m not a perfect person. But in my heart is always God. I’m a believer person. I believe in something that I can’t see but I feel. My life is not revolving around a religion or church. But I’m sure that my life has to be a testimony that God is Love.

I recommend this book because I know that everyone goes thought a situation where your faith fails. This book will help you to understand how God thinks, how God works on you. Always remember that God’s plans are better than ours.

CORINNA GARCIA SOTELO

JUN 07/2018