The Shack

God's timing is so awesome.  But what makes it even better is when you get to the top of a hill or mountain you've been climbing for some time and get to look around.  To look great distances and be able to take in more than only the steps or struggles before you is uplifting.  This happened to me this year at the Prophetic Arts Conference.  As I was reading The Shack last night, I had another one of those experiences.  During the day and months before, words and images have been coming to me:


gardens
flowers and blossoms
seed
purple (esp. wildflowers in the desert and mountains)
smell of jasmine
blackholes
healing (esp. via Theophostic prayer)
timing
Jamaica
Girls worshipping/hair flying (see Sanctification painting and Cosmic Love video)
glory and its light-reflecting qualities
God's mighty right arm/hand


Some of these I have blogged or scrapbooked about.  I have gone in and added Shack quotes to previously posted blog entries, but didn't begin reading it until the end of June.  I usually consume fiction this size in a matter of days, but God's timing is perfect, and I wasn't meant to read this part until last night.  Here are some quotes that nearly brought me to tears as I was reading (pp. 82-99)...

"Mack stopped and watched as all around him the white covering dissolved and was replaced by emerging and radiant growth."

"Even the light snow that had begun to fall had changed to tiny blossoms lazily drifting to the ground."

"As if that weren't enough, the scent of blooms began to fill the air, not just the drifting aroma of wild mountain flowers, but the richness of roses and orchids and other exotic fragrances found in more tropical climes."

"she crossed the distance between them and engulfed him in her arms, lifting him clear off his feet and spinning him around like a little child.  And all the while she was shouting his name--'Mackenzie Allen Phillips'--with the ardor of someone seeing a long-lost and deeply loved relative."  (This one is particularly dear to me; one of my favorite memories. I have often thought of painting it)

"Suddenly, he was overwhelmed by the scent emanating from her, and it shook him.  It was the smell of flowers with overtones of gardenia and jasmine,"  (Jasmine is the smell I associate with my grandma and visiting her at her home)

"With every effort he could muster, he kept himself from falling back into the black hole of his emotions."  Later, "Mack felt as if he were dangling over a bottomless chasm and was afraid if he let any of it out, he would lose control of everything."  (This is totally Theophostic)

"'Not ready?'  she responded.  'That's okay, we'll do things on your terms and time."  Later, "he knew she understood what was going on inside him" and "the offer was at once inviting and at the same time repulsive."  "Freedom is an incremental process."  (Again, each of these, totally Theophostic)

"She was in front of him in a blink of an eye/ with speed that belied her size"  (just watched the original Twilight movie last night and was wondering how you would make running that fast seem real w/o cheezy special effects)

"She seemed almost to shimmer in the light and her hair blew in all directions even though there was hardly a breeze."

"He stood easily, wearing jeans and a plaid shirt with sleeves rolled just above the elbows, revealing well-muscled forearms."

"And if it's left unresolved for very long, you can almost forget that you were ever created to fly in the first place."