Grappling

I am grappling with things today - this is nothing new, really. But this time it is due to a book I just finished. The Shack. It is a book about faith and trust and relationships. It is a book about dealing with grief. It's a lot rolled into one.

I gave it a 5 out of 5 stars on my WeRead shelf, but I think now I would say 4 out of 5. It necessarily had to boil some things down, and left certain points under-addressed. But I think it had to in order to keep the reader really engaged. Otherwise, there was so much to digest, I am sure I will be thinking about it for days.

It took me longer to read than other books because I had to keep putting it down. I wasn't troubled by the discussions on faith and the usual blah blah blah religion/man's failings thing. It was the fact that the story centered around the loss of a child that killed me. It was beyond gut-wrenching. But in the end, the subject matter was handled so delicately that I found myself weeping uncontrollably, and grateful to have made the journey with the main character.

In response, I put the finished book down and did the two most soothing things I know of - cooking and running. Four and half miles later, and the pumpkin bread is still in the oven. I have time to finish up some work and hop in the shower before I get the girls from the bus. Then again, maybe I'll just stare off into space a little and let my mind chew on The Shack a bit more...