The Buick - Highly Successful - The Shack

So, it turned out to be a great day even after experiencing an annoying, careless automobile incident that would normally tick most people off and would be cause for a horrible day. Ok, all that verboseness means simply put ... I ran out of gas this evening coming home from work. So that's when my manager, or as I like to call him sometimes, "Father Brad" came to my rescue. He arrived with some gas and then informed me that I was going out to dinner with him and his wife! So even though my errands have been put off to tomorrow night, dinner was great and the company was even better!

So why did my lack of gas not dampen my day? Well a few reasons ... 1- Less than 72 hours from now, I will "Back home again, in Indiana." 2- I had my final performance management meeting with my manager today and got a really good rating for my project this summer. This was such a great feeling as my summer project has been kind of a struggle making black and white out of gray. And I found out that there has been some great feedback from the TM's that I traveled and met with this summer! YAHOO!

And to top off a great day, I was flipping through the pages of my current book, "The Shack" for a quote that makes me realize how much God really loves us. It helps put some clarity to the whole predestination/ free-will discussion. It is when Mack, the main character, is in discussion with God in the trinity form, and asks why God didn't stop the violent kidnapping and murder of his youngest daughter.

Here's the passage:
"Mack," said Papa with an intensity that caused him to listen very carefully, "we want to share with you the love and joy and freedom and light that we already know within ourselves. We created you, the human, to be in face-to-face relationship with us, to join our circle of love. As difficult as it iwll be for you to understand, everything that has taken place is occurring to this purpose, without violating choice or will."
"How can you say that with all the pain in this world, all the wars and disasters that destroy thousands?" Mack's voice quieted to a whisper. "And what is the value in a little girl being murdered by some twisted deviant?" There it was again, the question that lay burning a hole in his soul. "You may not cause those things, but you certainly don't stop them."
"Mackenzie," Papa answered tenderly, seemingly not offended in the least by his accusation, "there are millions of reasons to allow pain and hurt and suffering rather than to eradicate them, but most of those reasons can be understood only within each person's story. I am not evil. You are the ones who embrace fear and pain and power and rights so readily in your relationships. But your choices are also not stronger than my purposes, and I will use every choice you make for the ultimate good and the most loving outcome."