The Shack

i am currently rereading The Shack by William P. Young, which is hands down the best book i have ever read. and i LOVE to read. i love it i love it i love it. the main reason i love this book is because my primary love language is words of affirmation. and God has really used this story to "speak" words of affirmation when i've needed them the most. 

first of all, let me just tell you, you HAVE to read this novel for yourself. you will bawl your eyes out and feel more loved than you have ever felt in all your life. i wanted to list out some of the many lines that spoke directly to my heart. i like to imagine God/Jesus/the Holy Spirit saying these things to ME...

"God's a riot! You can always count on him to throw you a curve or two. He loves surprises, and even though you might not think it, Jessica, his timing is ALWAYS perfect."

"Don't go talk to God because you feel obligated. That won't get you any points around here. Go because it's what you want to do."

"If you let me, Jessica, I'll be the Papa you never had."

"I want to heal the wound that has grown inside you, Jessica, and between us."

"Honey, there's no easy answer that will take your pain away. Believe me, if I had one, I'd use it now. I have no magic wand to wave over you and make it all better. Life takes a bit of time and a lot of relationship."

"Hasn't it always been a problem for you to embrace me as your father? And after what you've been through, Jessica, you couldn't very well handle a father right now, could you?"

"You do understand, Jess, that unless I had an object to love---or, more accurately, a someone to love---if I did not have such a relationship within myself, then I would not be capable of love at all? You would have a god who could not love. Or maybe worse, you would have a god who, when he chose, could only love as a limitation of his nature. That kind of god could possibly act without love, and that would be a disaster. And that, is surely not me."

"Jessica, I know that your heart is full of pain and anger and a lot of confusion. Together, you and I, we'll get around to some of that... But I also want you to know that there is more going on than you could imagine or understand, even if I told you. As much as you are able, rest in what trust you have in me, no matter how small, okay?"

"I would have died on the cross even if it were only for you, Jessica, but it wasn't!"