by Marsha Means
I’ve been meaning to read “The Shack” for the last year as woman after woman has shared how it changed their view of God, but I never quite got around to it. Not until now. And like so much about life post the-discovery-of-sex-addiction-in-our-personal worlds, this little book was written “for such a time as this.”
You see, even though I’m six years post-discovery, I’m still working at rebuilding my life, as is Mack, “The Shack’s” main character. In one of my favorite passages from this story of Mack’s weekend spent high in the mountains of my beloved Pacific Northwest with the three members of the Godhead, he and Jesus—who’s always dressed in blue jeans—are about to take a walk to the other side of the lake. However…
“Instead of angling off to one side of the lake or the other…Jesus headed straight for the dock…Mack next assumed that they would be taking one of the canoes nestled against the dock pylons, and he was surprised when Jesus didn’t hesitate as he passed the third and last of them, heading directly for the end of the pier. Reaching the end of the dock, he turned to Mack and grinned.
“After you,” he said with a mock flourish and a bow.
“You’re kidding, right?” sputtered Mack. “I thought we were going for a walk, not a swim.”
“We are. I just thought going across the lake would take less time than going around it.”
….He looked up at Jesus with a frozen grimace on his face….
“C’mon, Mack. If Peter can do it…”
….”You want me to walk on the water to the other side—…?”
“You’re a quick one, Mack. Nobody gonna slide anything past you, that’s for sure. C’mon, it’s fun!” He laughed….
I’ll let you read for yourself how Mack’s walk to the head of the lake with Jesus turned out. Until then, you won’t know if he stayed dry or fell in. It’s a life-changing story, so be sure to read it. But I want to ask you a question: Have you ever felt like Mack? Afraid of what you hear Jesus asking you to do? I know I have, and to a certain extent, I feel that way right now.
You see, I’m about to take a walk with Jesus, that in some ways, feels as unnerving as walking on water. In just thirty days, I am moving to Mexico. It’s taken me four-and-a-half years to become willing to step this far from shore, but finally—as long as I know Jesus is walking with me—I’ve begun see it as an adventure, and a life-saver.
An adventure in new discoveries; in learning a new language and new culture; but most of all, an adventure in faith, which is already being stretched as I seek to jump through the many hoops required to move across a border. And a life-saver because I’ve been unable to get health insurance in the U.S. for the last five years, but in Mexico medical expenses are so reasonably priced I can afford most medical care by paying out of pocket.
I will continue to minister through the website, the telephone, and by writing, so nothing about that aspect of my life will change. And once settled—and after learning the language and learning how to drive in a country that doesn’t stop at stop signs (literally!)—life should be easier financially. But between now and then, I need your prayers.
In the four weeks ahead, please pray that God will multiply my 1) time to do everything there is to do while still running my ministry; 2) that God will multiply my financial resources so I can cover the expenses such a move requires; and 3) that God will multiply my energy to meet the seemingly endless list of things that must be accomplished by April 29th. And as you pray, I invite you to check out my “Moving to Mexico” blog to read and see how God is answering your prayers in my life.
Your Sister on this journey,
Marsha Means
You see, even though I’m six years post-discovery, I’m still working at rebuilding my life, as is Mack, “The Shack’s” main character. In one of my favorite passages from this story of Mack’s weekend spent high in the mountains of my beloved Pacific Northwest with the three members of the Godhead, he and Jesus—who’s always dressed in blue jeans—are about to take a walk to the other side of the lake. However…
“Instead of angling off to one side of the lake or the other…Jesus headed straight for the dock…Mack next assumed that they would be taking one of the canoes nestled against the dock pylons, and he was surprised when Jesus didn’t hesitate as he passed the third and last of them, heading directly for the end of the pier. Reaching the end of the dock, he turned to Mack and grinned.
“After you,” he said with a mock flourish and a bow.
“You’re kidding, right?” sputtered Mack. “I thought we were going for a walk, not a swim.”
“We are. I just thought going across the lake would take less time than going around it.”
….He looked up at Jesus with a frozen grimace on his face….
“C’mon, Mack. If Peter can do it…”
….”You want me to walk on the water to the other side—…?”
“You’re a quick one, Mack. Nobody gonna slide anything past you, that’s for sure. C’mon, it’s fun!” He laughed….
I’ll let you read for yourself how Mack’s walk to the head of the lake with Jesus turned out. Until then, you won’t know if he stayed dry or fell in. It’s a life-changing story, so be sure to read it. But I want to ask you a question: Have you ever felt like Mack? Afraid of what you hear Jesus asking you to do? I know I have, and to a certain extent, I feel that way right now.
You see, I’m about to take a walk with Jesus, that in some ways, feels as unnerving as walking on water. In just thirty days, I am moving to Mexico. It’s taken me four-and-a-half years to become willing to step this far from shore, but finally—as long as I know Jesus is walking with me—I’ve begun see it as an adventure, and a life-saver.
An adventure in new discoveries; in learning a new language and new culture; but most of all, an adventure in faith, which is already being stretched as I seek to jump through the many hoops required to move across a border. And a life-saver because I’ve been unable to get health insurance in the U.S. for the last five years, but in Mexico medical expenses are so reasonably priced I can afford most medical care by paying out of pocket.
I will continue to minister through the website, the telephone, and by writing, so nothing about that aspect of my life will change. And once settled—and after learning the language and learning how to drive in a country that doesn’t stop at stop signs (literally!)—life should be easier financially. But between now and then, I need your prayers.
In the four weeks ahead, please pray that God will multiply my 1) time to do everything there is to do while still running my ministry; 2) that God will multiply my financial resources so I can cover the expenses such a move requires; and 3) that God will multiply my energy to meet the seemingly endless list of things that must be accomplished by April 29th. And as you pray, I invite you to check out my “Moving to Mexico” blog to read and see how God is answering your prayers in my life.
Your Sister on this journey,
Marsha Means
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