Stories from The Shack

Wow... incredible!

If you have read this blog much at all - you will recall the (many) posts about The Shack the book that almost wasn't, written by William Paul Young. I fell in love with this book before I ever read it... I kept hearing how crazy messed up you'd be after reading it and just could not get my hands on it! I heard it was controversial... I heard some loved it and some hated it but very few were on the fence about it... I knew it seemed to stir up the religious spirit in any and all of us and for this reason alone - I wanted to play along! I think it is always a good thing to rile up your religious spirit and seek a deeper level of grace and freedom in Christ. Anyway - I read the book basically in one sitting. Then turned around and made myself read it again... S-L-O-W-E-R. I read it AGAIN to my teenage daughter... then I began buying copies. I finally had to write my name in a copy, and reread it marking it up just so I could actually KEEP one for myself!

So - by mere accident... I saw somewhere that there was a new show/play/theatrical performance based on or around The Shack and that it was coming to Seattle for One Night Only! I had to go! It was on Mother's Day... hmmm... well - I don't normally ASK for anything on Mother's Day - but a day trip to the Emerald City seemed like a valid request and wrapping it up with an evening at the theater sounded divine. Inspired, even! So - I ordered three tickets to see the show and told my family what we were doing for me... luckily they were both excited as well and we were all in agreement and expecting a great time.

Let me say... we headed to Seattle around 10 in the morning and it was grey and cloudy... we let our girlie drive us the first 2 hours to help her get some more highway driving in before she gets her license... other than that first Merge and a few little shoulder weaves she did great! By the time we hit Seattle - it was GORGEOUS!!! We hung out at Green Lake, had lunch at Red Mills, walked around the Lake, chilled out during Happy Hour at Starbucks (cuz that's just how we roll!), met up with my niece for a bit and then headed to the WaMu theater in Seattle to see our show!

Much like how after reading the book - there was a time period required for processing... the show had the same effect. It was a visual FEAST - so much to see and take in. I LOVED that there were so many different creative artistic expressions... there was live music (incredible band playing through out - not to mention the actual performers, including Danny Gokey), interpretive dancers, a great sand artist, aerialists who were AMAZING, as well as Paul Young being interviewed live - where he would share personal stories of readers of The Shack who had contacted him to let him know of the impact the book had on them. Powerful stuff! At one point it seemed they did insert a little infomercial - but the info was good... I am sure they will work on how to better incorporate that soon. I wished that there was more reading excerpts from the book as many in the audience had not yet read it... and those of us who have - never mind or complain about reading it or hearing it again! I could have SWORN in the promo they had filmed portions of the book too but that was not in the show, and now is nowhere to be found... that was a little disappointing. Overall - however - the best part (despite all the color and lights and creative beauty) was just simply Paul - sharing stories...

They have limited dates set already... if this is coming near you, I encourage you to go!

~Karrilee~