a day spent at the Shack...

I had lots of plans for the day, but after a conversation with a friend this morning they all went out the window.  Instead, I picked up my copy of The Shack and decided to plug in the Christmas tree and spend some time rereading what has become one of my favorite books. 

As we near the end of the year, I'm finding myself doing quite a bit of reflection on the events of the last 12 months.  I don't make resolutions, but year end is a good time to take inventory and just check in with yourself and see what needs more attention in your life (or less attention!). 

"People are tenacious when it comes to the treasure of their imaginary independence.  They hoard & hold their sickness with a firm grip.  They find their identity and worth in their brokenness and guard it with every ounce of strength they have.  No wonder grace has such little attraction.  In that sense you have tried to lock the door of your heart from the inside."  This is so true.  It is so easy to fall into the trap of letting our circumstances (past & present) determine who we think we are.  We will closely hold hurt or anger in and refuse to let it go.  It is such a waste of life! 

I have been trying so hard to live more intentionally this past year.  In some ways, I think I have succeeded, and in some ways...not :)  I'm not going to say I failed, because I think that even any small thing you do in the right direction is success.  Another one of my favorite passages from the book is this..."if anything matters, then everything matters.  Because you are important, everything you do is important.  Every time you forgive, the universe changes; every time you reach out and touch a heart or a life, the world changes; with every kindness and service, seen or unseen, my purposes are accomplished and nothing will ever be the same again.".  It all matters!

Though this book is a work of fiction, reading it has affected me more personally than any other work of fiction ever has.  I had trouble with it the first time I tried to read it, and put it aside for several days.  But in the end, I was intrigued enough to want to finish it.  For me, it didn't change who I knew God to be, but it opened Him up to me in a way that showed me what a personal relationship was like.

Reading it again now at the end of the year was a good reminder.  The plan for the new year is to continue to work toward being authentic and loving intentionally.  I continue to dream of the possibility of nani's house someday.  As I move forward with my degree (which I get to do!!), that is still a long term focus for me.  It seems like there are lots of doors open right now...what will the focus of my nursing career look like?  Pediatric oncology is still on my radar...and that ties into the long term dream of non-profit work.  I'm also trying to not look too far forward, and to focus on what needs to be done now.

2013 lies in front of us, and the possibilities are endless!  Reach out...enter in to the lives of people around you.  Give thought to the attraction of grace :)

**quoted passages from The Shack by William P. Young