The Great Sadness

I got The Shack for Christmas and I have just begun reading it this week. The main character in the book talks of The Great Sadness he feels. The books describes it like this: "It draped itself around Mack's shoulders like some invisible but almost tangibly heavy quilt..........He ate, worked, loved, dreamed, and played in this garment of heaviness, weighed down as if he were wearing a leaden bathrobe......"

When I read that, I absolutely understood that. Over the past year, I have healed more than I ever thought possible. I am not kidding or exaggerating about God equipping me for this. But I also know that the realities of life are never far from my mind. I am not in a constant state of depression or anything like that, but my sadness is always close at hand. You have to remember I am not only mourning the child I lost but also the picture of my family that I have always held. This is not ever going to be a house full of Mills kids that run and play and laugh and giggle or fight and argue. I'm going to have that "extra" bedroom. That wasn't my plan - or my vision. And when I think about those things, that Great Sadness does become almost tangible - at least to me.

I am looking forward to the rest of the book to see what happens with this guy. Who knows? You may see all kinds of philosophical posts here as I read. Sorry about that :)!