"I Will Use Every Choice You Make"

Have you ever read a book that profoundly altered your state of thinking? (Okay, I mean a book other than the Bible) I've read books that made me really think or ponder a thought, but I've never read a book that altered the way I thought and saw reality until recently. Someone merely suggested that I read, The Shack by William P. Young. They said they could not describe the book but only suggest that it be read, 'huh'? Being good timing, I was wanting to read a new book and why not take them up on their suggestion. I went to the bookstore grabbed a copy and began to read it with a strange and curious nature of what my friend meant.



Securely snuggled in my bed, I dove into the pages. I quickly came to understand my friends explanation. As I continued to read, I started to feel vulnerable and no matter how snuggled and safe I felt the words kept hitting me straight in the face or should I say heart. Excerpt from the book, [God answering Mackenzie's question] "There are millions of reasons to allow pain and hurt and suffering rather than eradicate them, but most of the reasons can only be understood within each person's story. I am not evil. You are the ones who embrace fear and pain and power and rights so readily in your relationships. But your choices are not stronger than my purposes, and I will use every choice you make for ultimate good and loving outcome."



Smack in the face! Did you [God] just say that I embrace fear and pain and power and rights? Conversations I had in the past with God began to flood my mind. "I have a right to have children!," I would demand. "I have the right to be happy and have a family!" But, do I really have the right to anything? Did I not already have these things, or was it just that I had decided without these things I was abandoned or forsaken by God? I'm not rich, does that mean God is evil? I'm rich compared to others in other countries, did God abandon them and not me? Unfortunately, we are so self centered that we only see things from our own situation or circumstance. But, don't put too much condemnation and judgement on yourself yet, what was the next sentence? "But your choices are not stronger than my purposes, and I will use every choice you make for ultimate good and loving outcome." So in other words, no worries! From the past, to present to your future God will use everything you do, good, bad or unintentional for His purposes and greater good. That doesn't sound like an evil God but a loving and merciful God. A God that I want to know because I ultimately want a good and loving life!

I think I'm going to write several blogs on things that caught me off-guard in this book, maybe or maybe not. But read this book for yourself and let God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit show you what they want to reveal to you. These are my issues and what has been revealed to me about me.