That's the ticket

Our blog has an eclectic appeal. Tow-headed nuns in swimsuit competitions. Hmm. Islamic meat faces would have predicted that!

On W. Paul Young:
He is the son of missionaries to New Guinea. Suffered under the hand of a physically abusive father. At age 8 was shipped off to a missionary boarding school (very common practice in the 50s and 60s prior to the home school movement). There was sexually molested by other missionary kids.

This produced in him the perfectionism and rigidity that kept him from truly understanding the Grace of God. He went to Bible school and Seminary. Married, was involved in Church ministry. After 6 kids, fell into sin by having an affair with his wife's best friend.

During a long and hard process, he was restored to his family, restored to God, and embraced the true Grace of God.

The violence in the story reflects the abuse he suffered (the estrangement from earthly father as well as heavenly). His fall is pictured by The Shack as this metaphor represents his life of perfectionism and ultimately, falling, betraying, and "hitting bottom". The redemption story reflects his own journey to wholeness and the recovery (redemption) of the life God desires for him (and all of us) which comes through a less distorted view of the triune God the work of the 3 persons in his life as well as work in all of our lives.

The impetus for writing the book was to capture his journey through forgiveness, restoration, and joy of living a redeemed life.