Transcript for:
Exploring Healing and Forgiveness in The Shack

Oasis audio presents The Shack by William P Young read for you by Roger Mueller [Music] forward who wouldn't be skeptical when a man claims to have spent an entire weekend with God in a shack no less and this was the shack I've known Mac for a bit more than 20 years since the day we both showed up in a neighbor's house to help him bail a field of hay to put up for his couple of cows since then he and I have been as the kids say these days hanging out sharing a coffee or for me a chai tea extra hot with soy our conversations bring a deep sort of pleasure always sprinkled with lots of laughs and once in a while a tear or two frankly the older we get the more we hang out if you know what I mean his full name is Mackenzie Allen Phillips although most people call him Alan it's a family tradition the men all have the same first name but are commonly known by their middle names presumably to avoid the ostentation of first second and third or a Junior and senior it works well for identifying telemarketers too especially the ones who call as if they were your best friend so he and his grandfather father and now his oldest son all have the same given name of Mackenzie but are commonly referred to by their middle names only Nan his wife and close friends call him Mack although I have heard a few total strangers yell hey Mac where'd you learn to drive and Mack was born somewhere in the midwest Farm Boy in an irish-american family committed to calloused hands and rigorous rules although externally religious his overly strict Church Elder father was a closet drinker especially when the rain didn't come or came too early and most of the times in between Mac never talks much about him but when he does his face loses emotion like a tide going out leaving dark and lifeless eyes from a few stories Mac has told me I know his daddy was not a fall asleep Happy kind of alcoholic but a vicious mean beat your wife and then ask God for forgiveness drunk it all came to a head when 13 year old Mackenzie reluctantly buried his soul to a church leader during a youth Revival overtaken by the conviction of the moment Mack confessed in tears that he hadn't done anything to help his mama as he witnessed on more than one occasion his drunken dad beat her unconscious what Mack failed to consider was that his Confessor worked and churched with his father and by the time he got home his daddy was waiting for him on the front porch with his mama and sisters conspicuously absent he later learned that they'd been shuttled off to his aunt maze in order to give his father some freedom to teach his rebellious son a lesson about respect for almost two days tied to the Big Oak at the back of the house he was beaten with a belt and Bible verses every time his dad woke from a stupor and put down his bottle two weeks later when Mac was finally able to put one foot in front of the other again he just up and walked away from home but before he left he put varmint poison in every bottle of booze he could find on the farm he then Unearthed from next to the outhouse the small tin box housing all his Earthly Treasures one photograph of the family with everybody squinting as they looked into the sun his daddy standing off to one side a 1950 Luke Easter rookie baseball card a little bottle that contained about an ounce of mcrife the only perfume his mama had ever worn a spool of thread and couple needles a small silver Die Cast U.S Air Force f-86 Jet and his entire life savings 15.13 he crept back into the house and slipped a note under his mama's pillow while his father lay snoring off another binge you just said someday I hope you can forgive me he swore he would never look back and he didn't not for a long time 13 is too young to be all grown up but Mac had a little choice and adapted quickly he doesn't talk much about the years that followed most of it was spent overseas working his way around the world sending money to his grandparents who passed it on to his mama in One of Those Distant countries I think he even picked up a gun in some kind of terrible conflict he's hated war with a dark passion ever since I've known him whatever happened in his early 20s he eventually ended up in a seminary in Australia when Mac head is full of Theology and philosophy he came back to the States made peace with his mama and sisters and moved out to Oregon where he met and married Nanette a Samuelson in a world of talkers Mack is a thinker and Doer he doesn't say much unless you ask him directly which most folks have learned not to do when he does speak you wonder if he isn't some sort of alien who sees the landscape of human ideas and experiences differently than everybody else the thing is he usually makes uncomfortable sense in a world where most folks would rather just hear what they're used to hearing which is often not much of anything those who know him generally like him well enough providing he keeps his thoughts mostly to himself and when he does talk it isn't that they stop liking him rather but not quite so satisfied with themselves Mac once told me that he used to speak his mind more freely in his younger years but he admitted that most of such talk was a survival mechanism to cover his hurts he often ended up spewing his pain on everyone around him he says that he had a way of pointing out people's faults and humiliating them while maintaining his own sense of false power and control not too endearing as I pen these words I reflect on the Mac I've always known quite ordinary and certainly not anyone particularly special except to those who truly know him he is just about to turn 56 and he is a rather unremarkable slightly overweight balding short white guy which describes a lot of men in these parts you probably wouldn't notice him in a crowd or feel uncomfortable sitting next to him while he snoozes on the max during his once a week trip into town for a sales meeting he does most of his work from a little home office at his place up on Wildcat Road he sells something high-tech and gadgety that I don't pretend to understand techno gizmos that somehow make everything go faster as if life weren't going fast enough already you don't realize how smart Mac is unless you happen to eavesdrop on a dialogue he might be having with an expert I've been there when suddenly the language being spoken hardly resembles English I find myself struggling to grasp the concepts spilling out like a tumbling River of gemstones he can speak intelligently about most anything and even though you sense he has strong convictions he has a gentle way about him that lets you keep yours his favorite topics are all about God and creation and why people believe what they do his eyes light up and he gets his smile that curls at the corners of his lips and suddenly like a little kid the tiredness melts away and he becomes ageless and hardly able to contain himself but at the same time Mac is not very religious he seems to have a love-hate relationship with religion and maybe even with the God that he suspects is brooding distant and aloof little barbs of sarcasm occasionally spill through the cracks in his reserve like piercing darts dipped in poison from a well deep inside although we sometimes both show up on Sundays at the same local Pew and Pulpit Bible Church the 55th Independent Assembly of Saint John the Baptist we like to call it you can tell that he is not too comfortable there Mack has been married to Nan for just more than 33 mostly happy years he says she saved his life and paid a high price to do it for some reason Beyond understanding she seems to love him now more than ever even though I get the sense that he hurt her something fierce in the early years I suppose that since most of our hurts come through relationships so will our healing and I know that Grace rarely makes sense for those looking in from the outside in any case Mac married up Nan is the mortar that holds the tiles of their family together while Mack has struggled in a world with Many Shades of Gray hers is mostly black and white Common Sense comes so naturally to Nan that she can't even see it for the gift it is raising a family kept her from pursuing dreams of becoming a doctor but as a nurse she has excelled and gained considerable recognition for her chosen work with oncology patients who are terminal while Mack's relationship with God is wide man's is deep this oddly matched pair are the parents of five unusually beautiful kids Mac likes to say they all got their good looks from him because Nan still has hers two of the three boys are out of the House John newly married Works in sales for a local company and Tyler a recent college grad is off at school working on a master's degree Josh and one of the two girls Catherine Kate are still at home and attend the local Community College then there is the late arrival Melissa or Missy as we were fond of calling her she well you'll get to know some of them better in these pages in the last few years have been how might I put this remarkably peculiar Mac has changed he's now even more different and special than he used to be and all the time I've known him he's been a rather gentle and kind soul but since his stay in the hospital three years ago he's been well even nicer he's become one of those rare people who are totally at home in their own skin and I feel at home around him like I do with nobody else when we go our separate ways it seems that I've just had the best conversation of my life even if I usually did most of the talking and with respect to God Mac is no longer just wide he has gone way deep but the dive cost him dearly these days are very different than seven or so years ago when the Great sadness entered his life and he almost quit talking altogether about that time and for almost two years our Hangouts stopped as if by some unspoken mutual agreement I only saw a Mac occasionally at the local grocery store or even more rarely at church and although a polite hug was usually exchanged not much of any consequence was spoken it was even difficult for him to look me in the eyes maybe he didn't want to enter a conversation that might tear the scab off his Wounded Heart but that all changed after a nasty accident with but there I go again getting ahead of myself I will get to all that in due time just to say that these last few years seem to have given Mack his life back and lifted the burden of the great sadness what happened three years ago totally changed the melody of his life and it's a song I can't wait to play for you although he communicates well enough verbally Mac is not comfortable with his writing skills something that he knows I am passionate about so he asked if I would ghost write this story his story for the kids and for Nan he wanted a narrative to help him Express to them not only the depth of his love but also to help them understand what has been going on in his inside world you know that place where there is just you alone and maybe God if you believe in him of course God might be there even if you don't believe in him that would be just like him he hasn't been called the Grand interferer for nothing what you are about to read is something that Mac and I have struggled with for many months to put into words it's a little well no it is a lot on the Fantastic side whether some parts of it are actually true or not I won't be the judge so if I said to say that while some things may not be scientifically provable still be true nonetheless I will tell you honestly that being a part of this story has affected me deep inside in places I had never been before and didn't even know existed I confess to you that I desperately want everything Mac has told me to be true most days I'm right there with him but on others when the visible World of Concrete and computers seemed to be the real world I lose touch I have my doubts a couple of final disclaimers Mack would like you to know that if you happen upon this story and hate it he says sorry but it wasn't primarily written for you and then again maybe it was what you were about to read is the best Matt can remember about what happened this is his story not mine so the few times I show up I'll refer to myself in the third person from Mac's point of view memory can be a tricky companion at times especially with the accident and I would not be too surprised in spite of our concerted effort toward accuracy if some factual errors and faulty remembrances are reflected in these pages they are not intentional I can promise you that the conversations and events are recorded as truthfully as Matt can remember them so please try and cut him a little Slack as you'll see these are not easy things to talk about a Confluence of paths two roads diverged in the middle of my life I heard a wise man say I took The Road Less Traveled by and that's made the difference every night and every day Larry Norman with apologies to Robert Frost March Unleashed a torrent of rainfall after an abnormally dry winter a cold front out of Canada then descended and was held in place by a swirling wind that roared Down The Gorge from Eastern Oregon although spring was surely just around the corner the god of winter was not about to relinquish its hard-won Dominion without a tussle there was a blanket of new snow in the Cascades and rain was now freezing on impact with the frigid ground outside the house enough reason for Mac to snuggle up with a book and a hot cider and wrap up in the warmth of a crackling fire but instead he spent the better part of the morning telecommuting into his downtown desktop sitting comfortably in his home office wearing pajama pants and a t-shirt he made his sales calls mostly to the East Coast he paused frequently listening to the sound of crystalline rain tinging off his window and watching the slow but steady accumulation of Frozen ice thickening on everything outside he was becoming inexorably trapped as an ice prisoner in his own home much to his Delight there is something joyful about storms that interrupt routine snow or freezing rain suddenly releases you from expectations performance demands and the tyranny of appointments and schedules and unlike illness it is largely a corporate rather than individual experience one can almost hear a unified sigh rise from the nearby City and surrounding Countryside where nature is intervened to give respite to the weary humans slogging it out within her purview all those affected this way are united by a mutual excuse and the heart is suddenly and unexpectedly a little giddy there will be no apologies needed for not showing up to some commitment or other everyone understands and shares in this singular justification and the sudden alleviation of the pressure to produce makes the heart Merry of course it's also true that storms interrupt business and while a few companies make a bit extra some companies lose money meaning there are those who find no joy when everything shuts down temporarily but they can't blame anyone for their loss of production or for not being able to make it to the office even if it's hardly more than a day or two somehow each person feels like the master of his or her own world simply because those little droplets of water freeze as they hit the ground even commonplace activities become extraordinary routine choices become adventures and are often experienced with a sense of heightened clarity late in the afternoon Mack bundled up and headed Outdoors to struggle the hundred yards or so down the long driveway to the mailbox the ice had magically turned this simple everyday task into a foray against the elements the raising of his fist in opposition to The Brute power of nature and in an act of defiance laughing in its face the fact that no one would notice or care mattered little to him just the thought made him smile inside the icy rain pellets stung his cheeks and hands as he carefully worked his way up and down the slight undulations of the driveway he looked he supposed like a drunken sailor gingerly heading toward the next Watering Hole when you face the force of an ice storm you don't exactly walk boldly forward in a show of unbridled confidence Bluster will get you battered Mac had to get up off his knees twice before he was finally hugging the mailbox like some long lost friend he paused to take in the beauty of a world engulfed in Crystal everything reflected light and contributed to the heightened Brilliance of the late afternoon the trees in the neighbor's field had all done translucent mantles and each now stood unique but unified in their presentation it was a glorious world and for a brief moment it's blazing Splendor almost lifted even if only for a few seconds the great sadness for Mac's shoulders it took almost a minute to knock off the ice that had already sealed shut the door of the mailbox the reward for his efforts was a single envelope with only his first name type written on the outside no stamp no postmark and no return address curious he tore the end off the envelope which was no easy task with fingers beginning to stiffen from the cold turning his back to the breath-snatching wind he finally coaxed the single small rectangle of unfolded paper out of its nest the typewritten message simply said Mackenzie it's been a while I've missed you I'll be at the shack next weekend if you want to get together Papa Max stiffened as a wave of nausea rolled over him and then just as quickly mutated into anger he purposely thought about the shack as little as possible and even when he did his thoughts were neither kind nor good if this was someone's idea of a bad joke they had truly outdone themselves and to sign it Papa just made it all the more horrifying idiot he was thinking about Tony the mailman an overly friendly Italian with a big heart but little tact why would he even deliver such a ridiculous envelope it wasn't even stamped Mac angrily stuffed the envelope and note into his coat pocket and turned to start the slide back in the general direction of the house buffeting gusts of wind which had initially slowed him now shortened the time it took to Traverse the mini Glacier that was thickening beneath his feet he was doing just fine thank you until he reached that place in the driveway that sloped a little downward and to the left without any effort or intention he began to build up speed sliding on shoes with Souls that had about as much traction as a duck landing on a frozen pond arms flailing wildly in hopes of somehow maintaining the potential for balance Mack found himself careening directly toward the only tree of any substantial size bordering the driveway the one whose lower limbs he had hacked off only a few short months before now it stood eager to embrace him half naked and seemingly anxious for a little retribution in a fraction of a thought he chose the chicken's way out and tried to plop himself down by allowing his feet to slip out from under him which is what they had naturally wanted to do anyway better to have a sore butt than pick slivers out of his face but the adrenaline rush caused him to overcompensate and in slow motion Mack watched his feet rise up in front of him as if jerked up by some jungle trap he hit hard back of the head first and skidded to a heap at the base of the shimmering tree which seemed to stand over him with a smug look mixed with disgust and not a little disappointment the world went momentarily black or so it seemed he lay there dazed and staring up into the sky squinting as the icy precipitation rapidly cooled his flushed face for a fleeting pause everything felt oddly warm and peaceful his eye are momentarily knocked out by the impact now who's the idiot he hoped that no one had been watching cold was creeping quickly through his coat and sweater and Mack knew the ice rain that was both melting and freezing beneath him would soon become a major discomfort groaning and feeling like a much older man he rolled onto his hands and knees it was then that he saw the bright red skid mark tracing his journey from the point of impact to Final Destination as if birthed by the sudden awareness of his injury a dull pounding began crawling up the back of his head instinctively he reached for the source of the drumbeat and brought his hand away bloody with rough ice and sharp gravel gouging his hands and knees Mack half crawled and half slid until he eventually made it to a level part of the driveway with not a little effort he was finally able to stand and gingerly inch his way toward the house humbled by the powers of ice and gravity once inside Mack methodically shed the layers of outerwear as best he could his half frozen fingers responding with about as much dexterity as oversized clubs at the ends of his arms he decided to leave the drizzly blood-stained mess right where he doffed it in the entryway and retreated painfully to the bathroom to examine his wounds there was no question that the icy driveway had won the gash on the back of his head was oozing around a few small Pebbles still embedded in his scalp as he had feared significant lump had already formed emerging like a humpback whale breaching the Wild Waves of his thinning hair Mac founded a difficult chore to patch himself up by trying to see the back of his head using a small handheld mirror that reflected a reverse image off the bathroom mirror short frustration later he gave up and able to get his hands to go in the right directions and unsure which of the two mirrors was lying to him by gingerly probing around the Soggy gash he succeeded in picking out the biggest pieces of debris until it hurt too much to continue grabbing some first aid ointment and plugging the wound as best he could he then tied a washcloth to the back of his head with some gauze he found in a bathroom drawer glancing at himself in the mirror he thought he looked a little like some rough sailor out of Moby Dick it made him laugh and then wince he would have to wait until Nan made it home before he could get any real medical attention one of the many benefits of being married to a registered nurse anyway he knew that the worse it looked the more sympathy he would get there is often some compensation in every trial if one looked hard enough he swallowed a couple over-the-counter painkillers to dull the throbbing and limped toward the front entry not for an instant had Mack forgotten about the note rummaging through the pile of wet and bloody clothing he finally found it in his coat pocket glanced at it and then headed back into his office he located the post office number and dialed it as expected Annie the matronly postmaster and keeper of everyone's Secrets answered the phone hi is uh Tony in by chance hey Mac is that you recognized your voice of course she did sorry but Tony ain't back yet in fact I just talked to him on the radio and he's only made it halfway up Wildcat not even to your place yet do you need me to have him call you or would you just like to leave a message oh hi is that you Annie he couldn't resist even though her Midwestern accent left no doubt sorry I was busy for a second there didn't hear a word you said now Mack I know you heard every word don't you be going and trying to kid a Kidder I wasn't born yesterday you know what do you want me to tell him if he makes it back alive actually you already answered my question there was a pause at the other end actually I don't remember you asking a question what's wrong with you Mac still smoking too much dope or do you just do that on Sunday mornings to make it through the church service at this she started to laugh as if caught off guard by the Brilliance of her own sense of humor now Annie you know I don't smoke dope never did and don't ever want to of course Annie knew no such thing but Mack was taking no chances on how she might remember the conversation in a day or two wouldn't be the first time that her sense of humor morphed into a good story that soon became fact he could see his name being added to the church prayer chain it's okay I'll just catch Tony some other time no big deal okay then just stay indoors where it's safe don't you know an old guy like you could have lost his sense of balance over the years wouldn't want to see a slip and hurt your pride the way things are shaping up Tony may not make it up to your place at all we can do snow sleet and darkness at night pretty well but this frozen rain stuff it's a challenge to be sure thanks Annie I'll try and remember your advice talk to you later bye now his head was pounding more than ever little trip hammers beating to the rhythm of his heart that's odd who would dare put something like that in our mailbox the painkillers had not yet fully kicked in but were present enough to dull the edge of worry that he was starting to feel and he was suddenly very tired laying his head down on the desk he thought he had just dropped off to sleep when the phone startled him awake uh hello hi love well you sound like you've been asleep it was Nan sounding unusually cheery even though he felt he could hear the underlying sadness that lurked just beneath the surface of every conversation she loved this kind of weather as much as he usually did he switched on the desk lamp and glanced at the clock surprised that he had been out for a couple hours uh sorry I guess I dozed off for a bit well you sound a little groggy is everything all right yeah even though it was almost dark outside Matt could see that the storm had not let up it had even deposited a couple more inches of ice tree branches were hanging low and he knew some would eventually break from the weight especially if the wind kicked up I had a little tussle with the driveway when I got the mail but other than that everything is fine where are you I'm still at Arlene's and I think me and the kids will spend the night here it's always good for Kate to be around the family seems to restore a little balance Arlene was Nan's sister who lived across the river in Washington anyway it's really too slick to go out hopefully it'll break up by morning I wish I had made it home before it got so bad but oh well how's it up at the house well it's absolutely stunningly beautiful and a whole lot safer to look at than walk in trust me I for sure don't want you to try and get up here in this mess nothing's moving I don't even think Tony was able to bring us the mail I thought you already got the mail nope I didn't actually get the mail I thought Tony had already come and I went out to get it there he hesitated looking down at the note that lay on the desk where he had placed it wasn't any mail yet I called Annie and she said Tony probably wouldn't be able to make it up the hill and I'm not going to go out there again to see if he did anyway how is Kate doing over there there was a pause and then a long sigh when Nan spoke her voice was hushed to a whisper and he could tell she was covering her mouth on the other end Mac I wish I knew she's just like talking to a rock and no matter what I do I can't get through when we're around family she seems to come out of her shell some but then she disappears again I just don't know what to do I've been praying and praying that Papa would help us find a way to reach her but it feels like he isn't listening there it was Papa was Nan's favorite name for God and it expressed her Delight in the intimate friendship she had with him honey I'm sure God knows what he's doing it will all work out the words brought him no Comfort but he hoped they might ease the worry he could hear in her voice I just wish he'd hurry up me too it was all Matt could think to say well you and the kids stay put and stay safe and tell Arlene and Jimmy hi and thank them for me hopefully I'll see you tomorrow okay love I should go and help the others everyone's busy looking for candles in case the power goes out you should probably do the same there's some above the sink in the basement and there's leftover stuffed bread dough in the fridge that you can heat up are you sure you're okay yeah my pride is hurt more than anything well take it easy and hopefully we'll see you in the morning all right honey be safe and call me if you need anything bye it was kind of a dumb thing to say he thought as he hung up the phone kind of a manly dumb thing as if he could help if they needed anything Max sat and stared at the note it was confusing and painful trying to sort out the swirling cacophony of disturbing emotions and dark images clouding his mind a million thoughts traveling a million miles an hour finally he gave up folded the note slid it into a small tin box he kept on the desk and Switched Off the Light Mack managed to find something to heat up in the microwave then he grabbed a couple of blankets and pillows and headed for the living room a quick glance at the clock told him that bill Moyer's show had just started a favorite program that he tried never to miss Moyer was one of a handful of people who Mack would love to meet a brilliant and outspoken man able to express intense compassion for both people and Truth with unusual clarity one of the stories tonight had something to do with Oil Man Boone Pickens who was now starting to drill for water of all things almost without thinking and without taking his eyes off the television Mack reached over to the end table picked up a photo frame holding a picture of a little girl and clutched it to his chest with the other he pulled the blankets up under his chin and hunkered deeper into the sofa soon the sounds of gentle snoring fill the air as the media tube turned its attention to a piece on a high school senior in Zimbabwe who had been beaten for speaking out against his government but Mack had already left the room to wrestle with his dreams maybe tonight there would be no nightmares only Visions perhaps of ice and trees and gravity the Gathering dark nothing makes us so lonely as our secrets Paul turnier sometime during the night an unexpected Chinook blew through the Willamette Valley freeing the landscape from the storm's icy grip except for those things that lay hidden in the deepest Shadows within 24 hours it was early summer warm Max slept late into the morning one of those dreamless sleeps that seems to pass in an instant when he finally crawled off the sofa he was somewhat chagrined to see that the ice Follies had fizzled out so quickly but delighted to see Nan and the kids when they showed up less than an hour later first came the anticipated and considerable scolding for not putting his bloodied mess in the laundry room followed by an appropriate and satisfying amount of oohing and eyeing that accompanied her examination of his head wound the attention pleased Mack immensely and Nan soon had him cleaned up patched up and fed up the note though never far from his mind was not mentioned still didn't know what to think of it and he didn't want Nan included if it turned out to be some kind of cruel joke little distractions like the ice storm were a welcome although brief respite from The Haunting presence of his constant companion the great sadness as he referred to it shortly after the summer that Missy vanished the great sadness had draped itself around Mac's shoulders like some invisible but almost tangibly heavy quilt the weight of its presence dulled his eyes and stooped his shoulders even his efforts to Shake it Off were exhausting as if his arms were sewn into its Bleak folds of Despair and he had somehow become a part of it he ate worked loved dreamed and played in this Garment of heaviness weighed down as if he were wearing a lead and bathrobe trudging daily through the murky despondency that sucked the color out of everything at times he could feel the great sadness slowly tightening around his chest and heart like the crushing coils of a constrictor squeezing liquid from his eyes until he thought they're no longer remained a reservoir other times he would dream that his feet were stuck in cloying mud as he caught brief glimpses of Missy running down the Wooded Path ahead of him her red cotton summer dress gilded with wildflowers flashing among the trees she was completely oblivious to the dark shadow tracking her from behind although he frantically tried to scream warnings to her no sound emerged and he was always too late and too impotent to save her he would bolt upright in bed sweat dripping from his tortured body while waves of nausea and guilt and regret rolled over him like some surreal tidal flood the story of Missy's disappearance is unfortunately not unlike others told too often it all happened during Labor Day weekend The Summer's last hurray before another year of school and Autumn routines Mack boldly decided to take the three younger children on a final camping trip to walawa Lake in northeastern Oregon Nan was already booked at a continuing education class in Seattle and the two older boys were back at college or counseling at a summer camp but Mack was confident that he possessed the right combination of outdoorsmanship and mothering skills after all Nan had taught him well the sense of adventure and camping fever gripped everyone and the place became a whirlwind of activity if they had done it Maxway they would have simply backed a moving van up to the house and shifted most of its contents for the long weekend at one point in all the confusion Mack decided he needed a break and settled himself in his daddy chair after shoeing off Judas the family cat he was about to turn on the tube when Missy came running in holding her little Plexiglas box can I take my insect collection camping with us you want to take your bugs along daddy they're not bugs they're insects look I've got lots of them in here Mac reluctantly turned his attention to his daughter who seeing him Focus started explaining the contents of her treasure box see there are two Grasshoppers and see on that leaf there is my caterpillar and somewhere there she is do you see my ladybug and I have a fly in here somewhere too and some ants has she inventoried her collection Mack tried his best to show attention nodding along so can I take them along sure you can honey maybe we can let them loosen the wild while we're out there no she can't Missy you need to keep your collection at home honey trust me they're safer here Nan stuck her head around the corner from the kitchen and lovingly frowned at Mac as he Shrugged his shoulders I tried honey Missy growled but knowing the battle was lost she picked up her box and left by Thursday night the van was overloaded and the pull behind tent trailer hitched up with lights and brakes tested early Friday after one last lecture from Nan to her kids about safety obedience brushing teeth in the mornings not picking up cats with white stripes down their backs and all manners of other things they headed out Nan North up Interstate 205 to Washington and Mack in The Three Amigos East on Interstate 84. the plan was to return the following Tuesday night just before the first day of school the Columbia River Gorge is worth the trip by itself with breathtaking panoramas overseen By river-carved maces standing sleepy guard in the late summer warmth September and October can offer some of Oregon's best weather Indian summer often sets in around Labor Day and hangs on until Halloween when it quickly turns cold wet and nasty this year was no exception traffic and weather cooperated wonderfully and the crew hardly noticed the time and Miles passing by the foursome stopped at Multnomah Falls to buy a coloring book and crayons for Missy and two inexpensive waterproof disposable cameras for Kate and Josh they then decided to climb the short distance up the trail to the bridge facing the falls there had once been a path which led around the main pool and into a shallow cave behind the tumbling water but unfortunately it had been blocked off by the park authorities because of erosion Missy loved it here and she begged her daddy to tell the legend of the beautiful Indian maid the daughter of a chief of the Multnomah tribe it took some coaxing but Mack finally relented and retold the story as they all stared up into the Mists shrouding the falling Cascade the tale centered on a princess the only child left to her aging father the chief loved his daughter dearly and carefully picked out a husband for her a young Warrior chief of the klatsop tribe whom he knew she loved the two tribes came together to celebrate the days of the wedding Feast but before it could begin terrible sickness began to spread among the men killing many the elders and the Chiefs met to discuss what they could do about the wasting disease that was quickly decimating their Warriors the oldest medicine man among them spoke of how his own father when aged and near death had foretold of a terrible sickness that would kill their men an illness that could only be stopped If a pure and innocent daughter of a chief would willingly give up her life for her people in order to fulfill the prophecy she must voluntarily climb to a cliff above the Big River and from there jumped to her death onto the Rocks below a dozen young women all Daughters of the various chiefs were brought before the council after considerable debate the elders decided that they could not ask for such a precious sacrifice especially for a legend they weren't sure was true but the disease continued to spread unabated among the men and eventually the young Warrior Chief the husband-to-be fell ill With The Sickness the princess who loved him knew in her heart that something had to be done and after cooling his fever and kissing Him Softly on the forehead she Slipped Away it took her all night and the next day to reach the place spoken of in the legend towering Cliff overlooking the Big River in the Lands Beyond after praying and giving herself to the great spirit she fulfilled the prophecy by jumping without hesitation to her death on the Rocks below back at The Villages the next morning those who had been sick arose well and strong there was great joy and celebration until the young Warrior discovered that his beloved bride was missing as the awareness of what had happened spread rapidly among the people many began the journey to the place where they knew they would find her as they silently gathered around her broken body at the base of the cliff her grief-stricken father cried out to the great spirit asking that her sacrifice would always be remembered at that moment water began to fall from the place where she had jumped turning into a fine Mist that fell at their feet slowly forming a beautiful pool Missy usually loved the telling almost as much as Mac did it had all the elements of a true Redemption story not unlike the story of Jesus that she knew so well it's centered on a father who loved his only child and a sacrifice foretold by a prophet because of love the child willingly gave up her life to save her betrothed and their tribes from certain death but on this occasion Missy didn't say a word when the story was finished instead she immediately turned and headed for the van as if to say okay I'm done here let's get going they made a quick stop for some brunch and a potty break at Hood River and then got right back on the road reaching La Grande by early afternoon here they left I-84 and took the walawa lake Highway which would take them the final 72 miles to the town of Joseph the lake and Campground that we're headed for was only a few miles Beyond Joseph and after finding their site they all pitched in and had everything set up in short order perhaps not exactly the way Nan would have preferred but functional nonetheless the first meal was a Phillips Family Tradition flank steak marinated in Uncle Joe's secret sauce for dessert they ate the brownies Nan and made the night before topped with a vanilla ice cream they had packed away in dry ice that evening as he sat between three laughing children watching one of Nature's greatest shows Mac's heart was suddenly penetrated by unexpected Joy a sunset of brilliant colors and patterns played off the few clouds that had waited in the wings to become Central actors in This unique presentation he was a rich man he thought to himself in all the ways that mattered by the time supper was cleaned up night had fallen the deer routine day visitors and sometimes a serious nuisance had gone whatever deer go to bed down their shift was picked up by the night troublemakers raccoons squirrels and chipmunks that traveled in roving bands looking for any container left slightly open the Phillips campers knew this from past experience the first night they had ever spent in these campgrounds had cost them four dozen Rice Krispies Treats a box of chocolates and all their peanut butter cookies before it got too late the four went on a short hike away from the campfires and lanterns to a dark and quiet spot where they could lie down and gaze in Wonder at the Milky Way stunning and intense when undiminished by the pollution of city lights Mack could lie and gaze up into that vastness for hours he felt so incredibly small yet comfortable with himself of all the places he sensed the presence of God out here surrounded by nature and Under the Stars was one of the most tangible he could almost hear the song of worship they sang to their creator and in his reluctant heart he joined in as best he could then it was back to the campsite and after several trips to the facilities Mack tucked the three in turn into the Safety and Security of their sleeping bags he prayed briefly with Josh before moving across to where Kate and Missy lay waiting but when it came Missy's turn to pray she wanted to talk instead Daddy how come she had to die it took Mac a moment to figure out who it was that Missy was talking about suddenly realizing that the Multnomah princess must have been on her mind since they'd stopped earlier honey she didn't have to die she chose to die to save her people they were very sick and she wanted them to be healed there was silence and Mack knew that another question was forming in the Darkness did it really happen this time the question was from Kate obviously interested in the conversation did what really happen did the Indian princess really die is the story true Mack thought before he spoke I don't know Kate it's a legend and sometimes Legends are stories that teach a lesson so it didn't really happen it might have sweetie sometimes Legends are built from real stories things that really happen again silence then so is Jesus dying a legend Matt could hear the wheels turning in Kate's mind no honey that's a true story and you know what I think the Indian princess story is probably true too Mack waited while these girls processed their thoughts is the great spirit another name for God you know Jesus Papa Max smiled in the dark obviously Nan's nightly prayers were having an effect he would suppose so it's a good name for God because he is a spirit and he is great and how come he's so mean ah here was the question that had been brewing what do you mean missy well the great spirit makes the princess jump off the cliff and makes Jesus die on a cross that seems pretty mean to me Mac was stuck he wasn't sure how to answer at six and a half years old Missy was asking questions that wise people had wrestled with for centuries sweetheart Jesus didn't think his daddy was mean he thought his daddy was full of love and loved him very much his daddy didn't make him die Jesus chose to die because he and his daddy love you and me and everyone in the world he saved us from our sickness just like the princess now came the longest silence and Mack was beginning to wonder if the girls had fallen asleep just as he was about to lean over and kiss them good night a little voice with a noticeable quiver broke into the quiet Daddy yes honey will I ever have to jump off a cliff max heart broke as he understood what this conversation had really been about he gathered his little girl into his arms and pulled her close with his own voice a little huskier than usual he gently replied no honey I will never ask you to jump off a cliff never ever ever then will God ever ask me to jump off a cliff no missy he would never ask you to do anything like that she snuggled deeper into his arms okay hold me close goodnight Daddy I love you and she was out drifting deep into a sound sleep with only good and sweet dreams after a few minutes Mac placed her gently back in her sleeping bag are you okay Kate he kissed her good night yep Daddy what sweetheart she asks good questions doesn't she she sure does she's a special little girl you both are except you're not so little anymore now get some sleep we have a big day ahead of us sweet dreams darling you too Daddy I love you tons I love you too with all my heart good night Max zipped up the trailer on his way out blew his nose and wiped away the tears that still remained on his cheek he prayed a silent thanks to God and then went to brew some coffee The Tipping Point the soul is healed by being with children fyodo Dostoyevsky walawa Lake State Park in Oregon and its surrounding area has been well referred to as the Little Switzerland of America while rugged mountains rise to almost 10 000 feet and in between them are hidden in innumerable valleys full of streams hiking trails and high elevation Meadows overflowing with sprays of wildflowers walawa lake is the Gateway into the Eagle Cap Wilderness Area and Hells Canyon National recreation area which sports the deepest gorge in North America carved out over Centuries by the Snake River it reaches a couple miles top to bottom in places and 10 miles at times from rim to rim 75 percent of the recreation area is roadless with more than 900 miles of hiking trails once the domain of the prevailing Nez Perce tribe the remnants of their presence are scattered throughout this Wilderness as well as those of white settlers traveling through on their way to the West the nearby town of Joseph was named for a powerful tribal Chief whose Indian name meant thunder rolling down the mountain this area is home to an abundance of Flora and Wildlife including elk bear deer and mountain goat the presence of rattlers especially as you get closer to the Snake River is reason enough to hike cautiously should you decide to venture off Trail walawa Lake itself is five miles long and one mile wide formed some Say by glaciers nine million years ago it now sits about a mile from the town of Joseph at an elevation of 4400 feet the water though catch your breath cold most of the year is comfortable enough by the end of summer for a leisurely swim at least close into Shore Sacagawea at almost 10 000 feet looks down on this blue Jewel from her snow Captain timbered Heights Mac and the kids fill the next three days with fun and Leisure Missy seemingly satisfied with her daddy's answers never again raised the issue of the princess even when one of their day hikes took them by some precipitous Cliffs they spent a few hours traveling the Lakeshore on paddle boats tried their best to win a prize at miniature golf and even went horseback trail riding after a morning trip to the historic Wade Ranch that sits about halfway between Joseph and Enterprise they spent the afternoon visiting the little shops in the town of Joseph itself back at the lake Josh and Kate raced each other around the go-kart track Josh came away the winner but Kate was able to regain bragging rights later that afternoon when she landed three good-sized lake trout Missy caught one with hook and Worm but neither Josh nor Mac could claim a single tug on their fancier lures sometime during the weekend two other families seemed to magically weave themselves into the Phillips world as often happens friendships had been struck up initially amongst the children and then between the adults Josh had been especially keen on getting to know the two sets whose eldest Amber just happened to be a cute young lady about his age Kate seriously enjoyed tormenting her older brother about the entire matter and he would reward her taunting by stomping off to the tent trailer all Bluster and gripe Amber had a sister Emmy who was only a year younger than Kate and the two spent a lot of time together Vicki and Amel Doucette had traveled from their home in Colorado where Amel worked as an agent for the U.S fish and wildlife service office of law enforcement and stayed home to manage the household which included their surprise son JJ now almost a year old the Duets introduced Mac and his children to a Canadian couple they had met earlier Jesse and Sarah Madison these two had an easy unpretentious Manner and Mac took an instant liking to them both careered as independent Consultants Jesse in human resources and Sarah in change management Missy gravitated immediately to Sarah and both were often together down at the duset campsite helping Vicki with JJ Monday broke gloriously and the entire Entourage was excited about their plans to take the Wallowa Lake Tramway to the top of Mount Howard 8150 feet above sea level when it was constructed in 1970 the Tramway had the steepest vertical lift in North America with a cable length of almost four miles the trip to the summit takes about 15 minutes in a tram car that dangles anywhere from three feet to 120 feet off the ground instead of packing a lunch Jesse and Sarah insisted on treating everyone to a meal at the summit Grill the plan was to eat as soon as they reached the top and then spend the rest of the day hiking to the five viewpoints and overlooks armed with cameras sunglasses water bottles and sunscreen they headed off by mid-morning as intended they consumed a veritable Feast of hamburgers fries and shakes at the grill the elevation must have spurred their appetites even Missy was able to down an entire burger and most of the trimmings after lunch they hiked to each of the nearby Lookouts the longest trail being from the valley overlooked to the Snake River Country and Seven Devils look out a little more than three quarters of a mile from the walawa valley Overlook they could see as far as the towns of Joseph Enterprise lostin and even walawa from the Royal Purple Overlook and the summit Overlook they enjoyed the Crystal Clear View looking into the states of Washington and Idaho some even thought they could see across the Idaho Panhandle into Montana by late afternoon everyone was tired and happy Missy whom Jesse had carried on his shoulders to the last couple of Lookouts was now falling asleep in her father's arms as they bumped and whirred down from the summit the four young people along with Sarah had their faces plastered against the windows oohing and eyeing at the Wonders to be seen Along The Descent the Doucet sat holding hands in quiet conversation while JJ slept in his father's arms this is one of those rare and precious moments that catches You by surprise and almost takes your breath away if only Nan could be here it truly would be perfect he shifted Missy's weight to a more comfortable position for her now that she was totally out and pulled back the hair from her face to look at her the grime and sweat of the day had done nothing but strangely enhance her innocence and beauty why do they have to grow up he kissed her on the forehead that evening The Three Families combined their food for a last supper together taco salad was the entree with lots of cut fresh vegetables and dip and somehow Sarah had been able to whip up a chocolate dessert with layers of whipped cream mousse brownies and other Delights that had everyone feeling decadent and satisfied with the remains of supper stashed back in the coolers and the dishes cleaned and put away the adults sat sipping coffee around a blazing campfire while Amal shared his adventures of breaking up endangered animal smuggling rings and explaining how they caught poachers and others who hunted illegally he was a skilled Storyteller and his vocation offered a deep resource for some hilarious Tales it was all fascinating and Mack realized again that there was much in the world about which he was naive as the evening wound down Amel and Vicki headed for bed first with their sleepy-eyed baby Jesse and Sarah volunteered to stay a while before walking the decept girls back to their campsite the three Phillips kids and two ducettes immediately disappeared into the safety of the tent trailer to share stories and secrets as often happens when a campfire Burns long the conversation turned from the humerus to the more personal Sarah seemed eager to ask Mac about the rest of his family especially Nan so what is she like MacKenzie Mac loved any opportunity to brag about his Nan well besides being beautiful and I'm not just saying that she really is beautiful inside and out he looked up sheepishly to see them both smiling at him he was really missing her and was glad the night Shadows hid his embarrassment her full name is Nanette but almost no one calls her anything but Nan she has quite a reputation in the medical community at least in the Northwest she's a nurse and works with oncology patients uh cancer patients who are terminal it's tough work but she really loves it anyway she's written some papers and has been a speaker at a couple conferences really what does she speak on she helps people think through their relationship with God in the face of their own death I'd love to hear more about that encourage Jesse as he stirred up the fire with a stick causing it to bloom with renewed vigor Mac hesitated as much as he felt unusually at ease with these two he didn't really know them and the conversation had gotten a little deeper than he was comfortable with he searched quickly for a short answer to Jesse's interest Nan's a lot better at that than I am I guess she thinks about God differently than most folks she even calls him Papa because of the closeness of their relationship if that makes sense of course it does Jesse nodded is that a family thing referring to God as Papa no the kids picked it up some but I'm not comfortable with it it just seems a little too familiar for me anyway Nan has a wonderful father so I think it's just easier for her get it slipped out and Mack inwardly shuttered hoping no one had noticed but Jesse was looking right at him your dad wasn't too wonderful yeah I guess you could say he was not too wonderful he died when I was just a kid of natural causes Mack laughed but the sound was empty he looked at the two he drank himself to death we're so sorry Sarah said it for both of them and Mac could sense that she meant it well life is hard sometimes but I have a lot to be thankful for an awkward silence followed as Mack wondered what it was about these two that seemed to penetrate his defenses so easily he was rescued seconds later by a flurry of children as they poured out of the trailer and into their midst much to Kate's Glee She and Emmy had caught Josh and Amber holding hands in the dark and now she wanted the whole world to know by this time Josh was so smitten that he was willing to put up with any harassment and took what she dished out in stride he couldn't have wiped the silly grin off his face even if he had tried both Madison's hugged Mac and his children good night with Sarah giving him an especially tender squeeze before she left then hand in hand with Amber and Emmy they headed off into the darkness toward the Doucet site Mac watched them until he could no longer hear their night Whispers And A swaying of their flashlight disappeared from sight he smiled to himself and turned to herd his own brood in the direction of their sleeping bags prayers were said all around followed by good night kisses and Giggles from Kate in low conversation with her older brother who would occasionally burst out in a harsh whisper so everyone could hear cut it out Kate ow I mean it you are such a brat and eventually silence Mac packed up what he could By the Light of the lanterns and soon decided to leave the rest till daylight they weren't planning to leave until early afternoon anyway he brewed his final nightly cup of coffee and sat sipping it in front of the fire that had burned itself down to a flickering mass of red-hot coals it was so easy to get lost inside such a bed of glowing undulating Embers he was alone yet not alone wasn't that a line from the Bruce Coburn song Rumors of Glory I wasn't sure but if he remembered he would look it up when he got home as he sat mesmerized by the fire and wrapped in its warmth he prayed mostly prayers of Thanksgiving he'd been given so much blessed was probably the right word he was content at rest and full of peace Mac did not know it then but within 24 hours his prayers would change drastically the next morning though sunny and warm didn't start off so well Mac Rose early to surprise the kids with a wonderful breakfast but burned two fingers while trying to free Flapjacks that had stuck to the griddle in response to the Searing pain he knocked over the stove and griddled and dropped the bowl of pancake batter onto the Sandy ground the kids startled awake by the clatter and under the breath expletives had stuck their heads out of the tent trailer to see what all the commotion was about they began to giggle as soon as they grasped the situation but one hey it's not funny from Mac and they ducked back into the safety of the tent still tittering from their Hideout while they watched through the mesh windows so breakfast instead of the feast Mac had intended was cold cereal with half and half since the last of the milk had gone into the pancake batter Max spent the next hour trying to organize the site with two fingers stuck in a glass of ice water which had to be refreshed frequently with chips that Josh broke off the ice block with the backside of a spoon word must have gotten out because Sarah Madison showed up with burn first aid and within minutes of having his fingers slathered in the whitish liquid he felt the sting recede about that time Josh and Kate having completed their ordered chores showed up to ask if they could go out in the doucets canoe One Last Time promising to wear life jackets after the initial mandatory no and the required amount of begging from the kids especially Kate Mack finally gave in reminding them once again of the rules of canoe safety and conduct he wasn't too concerned their campsite was only a stone's throw from the lake and they promised to stay close and Shore Mack would be able to keep an eye on them while he continued packing up the camp Missy was busy at the table coloring in the book from Multnomah Falls she's just too cute Mack thought glancing in her direction as he worked to clean up the mess he had made earlier she was dressed in the only clean thing she had left a little red sundress with embroidered wildflowers a Joseph purchased from their first day's trip into town about 15 minutes later Mack looked up when he heard a familiar voice calling Daddy from the direction of the lake it was Kate and she and her brother were paddling like pros out on the water both were obediently wearing their life jackets and he waved at them it is remarkable how a seemingly insignificant action or event can change entire lives Kate lifting her paddle to wave back in response lost her balance and tipped the canoe there was a frozen look of Terror on her face as almost in silence and slow motion it rolled over Josh frantically leaned to try and balance but it was too late and he disappeared from sight in the midst of the splash Mack was already headed for the water's edge not intending to go in but to be near when they bobbed up Kate was up first sputtering and crying but there was no sign of Josh then suddenly an eruption of water and legs and Mac knew instantly that something was terribly wrong to his amazement all the instincts he had honed as a Teenage lifeguard came roaring back in a matter of seconds he hit the water shoes and shirt off he didn't even notice the icy shock as he began racing the 50 feet out toward the overturned canoe ignoring for the moment the terrified sobbing of his daughter she was safe his primary focus was Josh taking a deep breath he Dove under the water in spite of all the churning was still fairly clear with visibility about three feet he found Josh quickly and also discovered why he was in trouble one of the straps on his life vest had gotten Tangled in the canoe webbing try as he might he couldn't Yank It free either so he tried to Signal Josh to push himself deeper inside the canoe where breathable air was trapped but the poor boy was panicking straining against the strap that was keeping him caught under the canoe rim and underwater Max surfaced yelled at Kate to swim to shore gulped whatever he could and went under a second time by his third dive and knowing time was running out Mack realized that he could either keep trying to free Josh from the vest or flip the canoe since Josh in his Panic was not letting anyone near him Mack chose the latter whether it was God and angels or God and adrenaline he would never know for sure but on only his second attempt he succeeded in Rolling the canoe over freeing Josh from his tether the jacket finally able to do what it was designed for now kept the boy's face above water Max surfaced behind Josh who now was limp and unconscious blood oozing from a gash on his head with a canoe had banged him as Mac had writed it he immediately began mouth to mouth on his son as best he could While others who had heard the commotion arrive to pull him and the canoe with the attached vest toward the shallows oblivious to the shouts around him as people barked instructions and questions Mac focused on his task his own Panic Building inside his chest as his feet touched Solid Ground Josh began to cough and throw up water and breakfast a huge cheer erupted from everyone gathered but Mack couldn't care less overwhelmed with relief and the adrenaline rush of a narrow Escape he began to cry and then suddenly Kate was sobbing with her arms around his neck and everyone was laughing and crying and hugging somehow they all made it to shore among those who had been drawn to the scene by the panic and noise where Jesse Madison and Amel Doucette through the Mayhem of cheers and relief Mack could hear amel's voice like the repetitious chant of a rosary Whispering again and again I am so sorry I am so sorry it was his canoe it could have been his children Mack found him wrapped his arms around the younger man and emphasized strongly in his ear stop it this wasn't your fault and everyone's okay Amel began to sob emotion suddenly freed from behind a dam of pent up guilt and fear a potential crisis had been averted or somac thought [Music] to continue please insert the next CD [Music] the great sadness sadness is a wall between two gardens Khalil Gibran Max stood on the shore doubled over and still trying to catch his breath it took a few minutes before he even thought about Missy remembering that she had been coloring in her book at the table he walked up the bank to where he could see the campsite but there was no sign of her his Pace quickened as he hurried to the tent trailer calling her name as calmly as he could manage no response she was not there even though his heart skipped a beat he rationalized that in the confusion someone had seen to her probably Sarah Madison or Vicky Doucette or one of the older kids not wanting to appear over anxious or panicky he found and soberly informed his two new friends that he couldn't find Missy and asked if they would each check with their families both quickly headed off to their respective campsites Jesse returned first to announce that Sarah had not seen Missy at all that morning he and Mack then headed for the Doucet site but before they reached it Amel came hurrying toward them a look of apprehension written clearly on his face no one has seen Missy today and we don't know where Amber is either maybe they're together I'm sure that's it where do you think they might be why don't we check the bathrooms and showers good idea I'll check the one nearest our site the one my kids use why don't you enable check the one between your sites they nodded and Mac headed at a slow Trot toward the closest showers noticing for the first time that he was barefoot and shirtless what a side eye must be he thought and probably would have chuckled if his mind wasn't so focused on Missy arriving at the restrooms he asked a teenager emerging from the woman's section if she had seen a little girl in a red dress inside or maybe two girls she told him that she hadn't noticed but would look again in less than a minute she was back shaking her head thank you anyway Mac headed around the back of the building where the showers were located as he rounded the corner he began calling loudly for Missy Matt could hear water running but no one responded wondering if Missy might be in one of the showers he began pounding on each until he got a response he succeeded only in severely scaring a poor elderly lady when his door banging accidentally opened her shower stall she shrieked and Mack with profuse apologies quickly shut the door and hurried on to the next one six shower stalls and no missy he checked the men's toilet stalls and showers trying not to think about why he would even bother looking there she was nowhere and he jogged back towards Amos unable to pray anything except oh God help me find her oh God oh God please help me find her when she saw him Vicki rushed to meet him she'd been trying not to cry but couldn't help it as they embraced suddenly Mack desperately wanted Nan to be there she would know what to do at least what the right thing was he felt so lost Sarah has Josh and Kate back at your campsite so don't worry about them oh God what kind of a father am I Mack had totally forgotten about his other two although he was relieved that Sarah had them he now wished even more that Nan were here just then Amel and Jesse burst into Camp Amel appearing relieved and Jesse looking as tense as a wound up Spring we found her exclaimed Amel his face lighting up then turning somber as he realized what he had implied I mean we found Amber she just came back from taking a shower at this other place that still had hot water she said she told her mom but Vicky probably didn't hear her but we didn't find Missy Amber hasn't seen her today either Amel all business now took charge Mac we need to contact the campground authorities immediately and get the word out to find Missy maybe in the Ruckus and excitement she got scared and confused and just wandered away and got lost or maybe she was trying to find us and took a wrong turn do you have a picture of her maybe there's a copy machine at the office and we could make a few copies and save some time uh yeah I have a snapshot over in my wallet he reached for his back pocket and for a second panicked as he found nothing there the thought flashed through his mind of his wallet sitting at the bottom of walawa lake and then he remembered that it was still in his van after yesterday's trip up the tram the three headed back to Max site Jesse ran ahead to let Sarah know that Amber was safe but that Missy's whereabouts were still unknown arriving at Camp Mack hugged and encouraged Josh and Kate as best he could trying to appear calm for their sakes changing out of his wet clothes he threw on a T-shirt and jeans some clean dry socks and a pair of running shoes Sarah promised that she and Vicki would keep his older two with them and whispered that she was praying for him and Missy Matt gave her a quick hug and thanked her and after kissing his children join the other two manners together they jogged toward the campground office word of the water rescue had reached the little two-room Camp headquarters ahead of them and everyone there was in High Spirits this changed quickly as the three took turns explaining Missy's disappearance fortunately the office had a photocopier and Mac enlarged half a dozen pictures of Missy handing them around the walawa Lake Campground has 215 sites divided into five loops and three group areas the young assistant manager Jeremy Bellamy volunteered to help canvas so they divided the camp into four areas and each headed out armed with a map Missy's picture and an office walkie-talkie one assistant with a walkie-talkie also went back to maxite to report in if Missy turned up there it was slow methodical work much too slow for Mac but he knew that this was the most logical way to find her if if she was still on the campgrounds as he walked between tents and trailers he was praying and promising he knew in his heart that promising things to God was rather dumb and irrational but he couldn't help it he was desperate to get Missy back and surely God knew where she was many campers were either not at their sights or in the final stages of packing up to head home no one he asked had seen Missy or anyone looking like her periodically the search parties checked in with the office to get an update on the progress if any that each was making nothing at all until almost two in the afternoon Mack was finishing his section when the call came in on the walkie-talkies Jeremy who had taken the area nearest the entrance thought he had something emel instructed them to put a mark on their maps showing where each had left off and then he gave them the site number where Jeremy had called from Mack was the last to arrive and he walked in on an intense conversation involving Amel Jeremy and a third young man that Mack did not recognize Amel quickly brought Mack up to speed introducing him to Virgil Thomas a city boy from California who had been camping All Summer in the area with some buddies Virgil and his friends had crashed after partying late into the night and he had been the only one up who saw an old military green truck heading out the entrance and down the road towards Joseph about what time was that like I told him Virgil pointed his thumb at Jeremy it was before noon I'm not sure how much before I knew no I was kind of hungover and we really haven't been paying much attention to clock since we got here Mac pushed the picture of Missy in front of the young man do you think you saw her Virgil looked at the photo when the other fella first showed me that picture she didn't look familiar but then when he said that she was wearing a bright red dress I remembered that the little girl in the green truck was wearing red and she was either laughing or bellerin I couldn't really tell and then it looked like the guy slapped her or pushed her down but I suppose he could have been just playing too Mac felt paralyzed the information was overwhelming to him but unfortunately it was the only thing they had heard that made any sense it explained why they had found no trace of Missy but everything in him didn't want it to be true he turned and started to run toward the office but he was halted by amel's voice Mack stop we've already radioed the office and contacted the sheriff and Joseph they're sending someone here right away and are putting out an APB on the truck as he finished speaking as if On Cue two patrol cars pulled into the campgrounds the first headed directly for the office while the other turned into the section where they all stood waiting Mack wave the officer down and hurried to meet him as he emerged from his vehicle a young man who looked to be in his late 20s introduced himself as officer Dalton and began taking their statements the next hours saw a massive escalation in response to Missy's disappearance and all points bulletin was sent out as far west as Portland East to Boise Idaho and North to Spokane Washington police officers in Joseph set up a roadblock on the imnaha highway which led out of Joseph and deeper into the Hell's Canyon National Recreation Area If the child stealer had taken Missy up to imnaha only one of many directions he could have gone the police figured they could get pertinent information by questioning those coming out their resources were limited and Rangers in the area were also contacted to be on the lookout the Phillips campsite was cordoned off as a crime scene and everyone in the vicinity was questioned Virgil offered as much detail as he could about the truck and its occupants and the resulting description was flashed out to all relevant agencies the FBI field offices in Portland Seattle and Denver were put on notice Nan had been called and was on her way being driven by her best friend Marianne even tracking dogs were brought in but Missy's Trail ended in the nearby parking lot increasing the likelihood that Virgil's story was accurate after forensic Specialists had combed through his campsite officer Dalton asked Mack to re-enter the area and carefully looked to see if anything was out of place or different than he remembered although already exhausted by the emotions of the day Mack was desperate to do anything to help and deliberately focused his mind to try and remember whatever he could about the morning cautiously so as not to disturb anything he retraced his steps what he would give for a do-over a chance to have this day start from the beginning even if he burned his fingers and dropped the pancake batter all over again if only he could take it back again he turned back to his assigned task but nothing seemed to be different than what he remembered nothing had changed he came to the table where Missy had been busy the book was open to the page she had been coloring a half-finished picture of the Multnomah Indian princess the Crayons were also there although Missy's favorite color red was missing he began to look around on the ground to see where it might have fallen if you're looking for the red crayon we found it over there by the tree Dalton pointed toward the parking lot she probably dropped it when she was struggling with how can you tell she was struggling the officer hesitated but then spoke almost reluctantly we found one of her shoes near there in the bushes where it was probably kicked off you weren't here at the time so we asked your son to identify it the image of his daughter fighting off some perverted monster was like a fist to the stomach almost succumbing to the sudden Blackness that threatened to smother him Mack leaned on the table to keep from passing out or throwing up it was then that he noticed a ladybug pin sticking in the coloring book he snapped to awareness as if someone had opened smelling salts under his nose whose is that Mac pointed to the pin whose is what this ladybug pin who put that there we just assumed it was Messi's are you telling me that pin was not there this morning I'm positive she doesn't own anything like that I'm absolutely positive that it was not here this morning officer Dalton was already on his radio and within minutes forensics was back and had taken the pin into custody Dalton took Mac aside and explained and what you say is correct and we have to assume that Missy's assailant left it here on purpose Mr Phillips this could be good news or bad I don't understand the officer again hesitated trying to decide whether he should tell Mac what he was thinking he searched for the right words well the good news is that we might get some evidence off of it it's the only thing we have so far linking into the scene and the bad news Mack held his breath while the bad news and I'm not saying that this is the case here but guys who leave something like this usually have a purpose in leaving it and it usually means that they have done this before what are you saying that this guy is some kind of serial killer is this some sort of Mark that he leaves behind to identify himself like he's marking his territory or something Mac was getting angry and it was evident by the look on Dalton's face that he was sorry for even mentioning it but before Matt could blow Dalton received an incoming call on his belt radio patching him through to the FBI field office in Portland Oregon Mac refused to leave and listened as a woman identified herself as a special agent she asked Dalton to describe the pin in detail Mack followed the officer to wear the forensic team had set up a work area the pin was secured inside a Ziploc bag and standing just behind the group he eavesdropped as Dalton described it as best he could it's a ladybug's dick pin that was stuck through some pages of a coloring book like one of those pins a woman would wear on her lapel I think please describe the colors a number of dots on the ladybug well uh let's see Dalton put his eyes almost up to the pouch the head is black with uh ladybug head and the body is red with black edges and divisions there are two black dots on the left side of the body as you look down from above with the head at the top does that make sense perfectly please go on and on the right side of the ladybug there are three dots so five in all there was a pause are you sure there are five dots uh yes ma'am there are five dots he looked up and saw Mack who had moved to the other side to see better made eye contact and Shrugged his shoulders as if to indicate who cares how many dots okay now officer Dabney Dalton ma'am Tommy Dalton he looked up at Mac again and rolled his eyes sorry officer Dalton could you please turn over the pin and tell me what is on the bottom or underside of the ladybug Dalton turned the pouch over and looked carefully there is something here engraved on the bottom special agent um I didn't get your name exactly Wachowski spelled just like it sounds is it some letters or numbers well let me see yeah yeah I think you're right it looks like some kind of model number um c k 146 I believe yeah charlie kilo 146. it's tough to make out through the baggie there was silence on the other end Mack whispered to Dalton ask her why or what that means Dalton hesitated and then complied again there was an extended silence on the other end lakovski are you there yeah I'm here hey Dalton are you someplace private where you can talk Mac nodded with exaggeration and Dalton got the message hold on a sec he put down the pouch with the pin and moved outside the area allowing Mack to follow Dalton was already Way Beyond protocol with him anyway yep I am now so tell me what's the scoop on this ladybug we've been trying to catch this guy for almost four years tracking him across more than nine states now he's been continually moving West he's been nicknamed the little lady killer but we've never released the ladybug detail of the press or anyone else so please keep that on the down low we believe he's responsible for abducting and killing at least four children so far all girls all under the age of 10. each time he adds a DOT to the ladybug so this would be number five he always leaves the same pin somewhere at the kidnap scene all with the same model number like he bought a box of them but we've had no luck tracking down where they originally came from we haven't found one of the bodies of any of those four little girls and although forensics has come up with nothing we have good reason to believe that none of the girls have survived every crime has taken place at or near a camping area with a state park or Reserve close by the perpetrator seems to be an expert Woodsman and Mountaineer in every case he's left us absolutely nothing except the PIN what about the car we have a pretty good description of the green truck he left in oh you'll probably find it all right if this is our guy it would have been stolen a day or two ago repainted full of outdoor gear and it will be wiped clean as he listened to Dalton's conversation with special agent wykovsky Mack felt the last of his hope draining away he slumped the ground and buried his face in his hands was there ever a man as tired as he was at this moment for the first time since Missy's disappearance he allowed himself to consider the range of horrendous possibilities and once it started he couldn't stop the imaginations of Good and Evil all mixed up together in a soundless but terrifying parade even when he tried to shake free of the images he couldn't some were horrible ghastly snapshots of torture and pain of monsters and demons of the deepest dark with barbed wire fingers and razor touches of Missy screaming for her daddy and no one answering and mixed throughout these Horrors were flashes of other memories the toddler with her Missy sippy cup as they had called it the two-year-old drunk from eating too much chocolate cake and the one image so recently made as she fell asleep safely in her daddy's arms unyielding images what would he say at her funeral what could he possibly say to Nan how could this have happened God how could this happen a few hours later Mac and his two children drove to the hotel in Joseph that had become the staging grounds for the growing search the Proprietors had kindly offered them a complimentary room and as he moved a few of his things into it his exhaustion began to get the better of him he had gratefully accepted officer Dalton's offer to take his children down to a local diner for some food and now sitting down on the edge of the bed he was swept helplessly away in the unrelenting and merciless grip of growing despair slowly rocking back and forth soul-shredding sobs and groans clawed to the surface from the core of his being and that is how Nan found him two broken lovers they held each other and wept as Mac poured out his sorrow and Nan tried to hold him in one piece that night Mack slept in fits and starts as the images continued to pound him like Relentless waves on a rocky Shore finally he gave up just before the sun began to issue hints of its arrival he hardly noticed in one day he had spent a Year's worth of emotions and now he felt numb adrift in a suddenly meaningless World it felt like it would be forever Gray after considerable protest from Nan they agreed it would be best for her to head home with Josh and Kate Mack would remain to help in any way he could and to be close just in case he simply couldn't leave not when she might still be out there needing him word had quickly spread and Friends arrived to help him pack up the site and cart everything back to Portland his boss called offering any support he could and encouraging Mac to stay as long as he needed everyone they knew was praying reporters with their photographers in tow began showing up during the morning Mack didn't want to face them or their cameras but after some coaching he spent time answering their questions in the parking lot knowing the exposure could go a long way to help in the search for Missy he had kept quiet about officer Dalton overstepping his protocol and Dalton returned the favor by keeping him inside the information Loop Jesse and Sarah willing to do anything made themselves constantly available to the family and friends who came to help they lifted the huge burden of communication with the public from both Nan and mac and seemed to be everywhere as they skillfully wove some threads of Peace into the turbulence of emotions Amil doucet's parents arrived after driving all the way from Denver to help Vicki and the kids get home safely Amal with the blessing of his superiors had decided to stay behind to do what he could with the park service to help Mack stay informed on that side of things Nan who had bonded quickly with both Sarah and Vicki had distracted herself by helping with little JJ and then getting her own children ready for their trip back to Portland and when she broke down as she frequently did Vicky or Sarah was always there to weep and pray with her when it became clear that the need for their assistance was winding down the Madisons packed up their own site and then came by for a teary farewell before heading north as Jesse gave Mack a long hug he whispered that they would see each other again that he would be in prayer for all of them Sarah tears rolling down her cheeks simply kissed Mac on the forehead and then held on to Nan who again broke into sobs and moans Sarah sang something words Mac couldn't quite hear but it calmed his wife until she was steady enough to let Sarah go Mac couldn't even bear to watch as the couple finally walked away as the doucet's ready to go Mack took a minute to thank Amber and Emmy for comforting and reaching out to his own especially when he couldn't Josh cried his goodbyes he wasn't Brave anymore at least not today Kate on the other hand had become a rock busying herself making sure that everyone had everyone else's addresses and emails Vicky's world had been shaken by the events and now she had to be almost Pride from Nan as her own grief threatened to sweep her away Nan held her stroking her hair and Whispering prayers into her ear until she was settled enough to walk to the waiting car by noon all of the families were on the road Marianne drove Nan and the kids home where family would be waiting to care for and comfort them Mack and Amel joined officer Dalton who was now just Tommy and headed into Joseph in Tommy's patrol car there they grabbed sandwiches which were barely touched and then drove to the police station Tommy Dalton was the father of two daughters himself his oldest being only five so it was easy to see that this case struck a particular nerve with him he extended every kindness and courtesy could to his new friends especially Mac now came the hardest part waiting Mack felt like he was moving in slow motion inside the eye of a hurricane of activity happening all around him reports filtered in from everywhere even Amel was busy networking with the people and professionals he knew the FBI Entourage arrived mid-afternoon from field offices in three cities it was clear from the start that the person in charge was special agent wikowski a small slim woman who was all fire in motion and to whom Mack took an instant liking she publicly returned the favor and from that moment on no one questioned his presence at even the most intimate of conversations or debriefings after setting up their Command Center at the hotel the FBI asked Mac to come in for a formal interview something they insisted was routine in these kinds of circumstances agent Wilkowski Rose from behind the desk she was working at and held out her hand as he reached for the handshake she clasped both her hands around his and smiled grimly Mr Phillips I apologize I haven't been able to spend much time with you so far we've been frantically busy setting up communications with all the law enforcement and other agencies involved in trying to get Missy back safely I'm so sorry that we have to meet under such conditions Mack believed her Mac I beg your pardon Mac please call me mac well Mac then please call me Sam short for Samantha but I grew up kind of a tomboy and beat up the kids who would dare call me Samantha to my face Matt couldn't help but smile relaxing a little into the chair as he watched her quickly sort through a couple of folders full of papers Mac are you up for a few questions she asked without looking up I'll do my best he was grateful for the opportunity to do anything good I won't make you walk through all the details again I have the reports on everything that you told the others but I have a couple of important things to go over with you she looked up making eye contact anything I can do to help I'm feeling very useless at the moment Mac I understand how you feel but your presence here is important and believe me there is not a person here who doesn't care about your missy we will do everything in our power to get her back safely thank you was all Matt could say and he looked down at the floor emotion seemed so near the surface and even the least bit of kindness seemed to poke holes in his reserve okay now I've had a good off the Record talk with your friend officer Tommy and he filled me in on everything that you and he have talked about so don't feel like you have to protect his butt he's all right in my book Mack looked up and nodded and smiled again at her so have you noticed anyone strange around your family these past few days Mack was surprised and sat back in his chair he's been stalking us no he seems to choose his victims at random though they were all about the age of your daughter with similar hair color we think he spots them a day or two before and waits and watches from nearby for an opportune moment have you seen anyone unusual or out of place near the lake perhaps near the bathrooms Mac recoiled at the thought of his children being watched being targets he tried to think past his own imagination but came up blank I'm sorry not that I can remember did you stop anywhere on your way to the campgrounds or notice anyone strange when you were hiking or sightseeing in the area we stopped at Multnomah Falls on the way here and we've been all over the area the past three days but I don't recall seeing anyone who looked out of the ordinary who would have thought exactly Max so don't beat yourself up something may come to mind later no matter how small or irrelevant it might seem please let us know what about a green military truck have you noticed anything like that around while you were here Mac raked his memory I really can't remember seeing anything like it special agent wikowski continued to question Mack for the next 15 minutes but could not jar is memory enough to provide anything helpful she finally closed her notebook and stood extending her hand Mack again I'm so sorry about Missy if anything breaks I will personally let you know the minute it happens at 5 PM the first promising report finally came in from the imnaha roadblock as she had promised agent wikowski immediately sought out Mack and filled him in on the details two couples had encountered a green military-looking truck matching the description of the vehicle everyone was searching for they had been exploring some old Nez per sites off of National Forest 4260 in one of the more remote areas of the national reserve and on their way out they had come face to face with the vehicle just south of the junction where NF 4260 and nf-250 split because that section of road was basically one lane they had to back up to a safe place to allow the truck to pass they noted that the pickup had a number of gas cans in the back plus a fair amount of camping gear the odd part was that the man had bent over toward his passenger side as if looking for something on the floor pulled his hat down low and wore a big coat In the Heat of the day almost as if he were afraid of them they had just laughed it off as one of those militia freaks the instant the report was announced to the group tensions in the station increased Tommy came over to let Mac know that unfortunately everything he had learned so far fit the little lady Killer's Mo to head for remote areas out of which he could eventually hike it was obvious that he knew where he was going as the Locale where he had been spotted was well off the beaten path unlucky for him that someone else had been so far out there as well with evening quickly approaching an intense discussion began regarding the efficacy of immediate pursuit or holding off until Daybreak regardless of their point of view it seemed that everyone who spoke was deeply affected by the situation something in the heart of most human beings simply cannot abide pain inflicted on the innocent especially children even broken men serving in the worst Correctional Facilities will often first take out their own rage on those who have caused suffering to children even in such a world of relative morality causing harm to a child is still considered absolutely wrong period standing near the back of the room Mack listened impatiently to what seemed like time wasting bickering he was almost ready to kidnap Tommy if he had to and go after the guy himself it felt like every second counted although it certainly felt longer to Mac the various departments and personalities agreed quickly and unanimously to set out in Pursuit just as soon as a few Arrangements could be made although there weren't many ways to drive out of the area and roadblocks were being set up immediately to prevent this there was a very real concern that a skilled hiker could pass undetected into the Idaho Wilderness to the east or Washington State to the north while officials in the towns of Lewiston Idaho and Clarkston Washington were being contacted and notified of the situation Mack quickly called Nan to give her an update and then left with Tommy by now he had only one prayer left dear God please please take care of my Missy I just can't right now tears traced their way down his cheeks and then spilled off onto his shirt by 7 30 PM the Convoy of patrol cars FBI SUVs pickups with dogs and kennels and some Ranger Vehicles headed up the imnaha highway instead of turning East onto the walawa Mountain Road which would have taken them directly into the national Reserve they stayed on the imnaha and headed north eventually they took the Lower imnaha Road and finally dugbar Road into the reserve Mack was glad he was traveling with someone who knew the area it seemed at times that dugbar road went in all directions simultaneously it was almost as if whoever had named these roads had run out of ideas or simply got tired or drunk and began naming everything Doug Barr just so he could go home the roads with frequent narrow switchbacks edging steep drop-offs became even more treacherous in the pitch dark of night progress slowed to a crawl finally they passed the point with a green pickup had last been seen and a mile later came to the junction where NF 4260 went farther north Northeast and nf-250 headed Southeast there is planned the Caravan split into two with a small group heading north up the 4260 with special agent Bukowski while the rest including Mack Amel and Tommy went Southeast on the 250. a few difficult miles later this larger group split again Tommy and a dog truck continuing down the 250 where according to the maps the road would end and the rest taking the more easterly route through the park on NF 4240 down toward the temperance Creek area at this point all search efforts slowed even more The Trackers were now on foot and backed up by powerful floodlights while they looked for signs of recent activity on the roads anything that might suggest the particular area they were examining was something other than a dead end almost two hours later and moving at a snail's pace toward the end of 250 A call came into Dalton from wakowski her team had caught a break about 10 miles from The Junction where they had separated an old unnamed Road left the 4260 and headed straight North for almost two miles it was barely visible and deeply potted they would either have missed it entirely or ignored it except that one of The Trackers had flashed his floodlight off a hubcap less than 50 feet from the main road out of curiosity he retrieved it and under the covering of Road dust found it splattered with Specks of green paint the hubcap had probably been lost when the truck had tussled with one of the many deep potholes strewn in that direction Tommy's group immediately turned back the way they had come Mack didn't want to let himself begin to hope that perhaps by some miracle Missy might still be alive especially when everything he knew told him otherwise 20 minutes later another call from McCoskey this time to tell them they had found the truck Choppers and search planes would never have seen it from the sky covered as it was under a carefully built lean-to of Limbs and brush it took Max crew almost three hours to reach the first team and by then it was all over the dogs had done the rest uncovering a descending game trail that led more than a mile into a small Hidden Valley there they found a run-down Little Shack near the edge of a pristine Lake barely half a mile across fed by a cascading Creek a hundred yards away a century or so earlier this had probably been a Settler's home it had two good sized rooms enough to house a small family since that time it had most likely served as an occasional hunters or poachers cabin by the time Mack and his friends arrived the sky was beginning to show the Grays of pre-dawn a base camp had been set up well away from The Battered little cabin in order to preserve the crime scene the moment wikowski's group had found the place dog trackers had been sent out in different directions to try and locate Ascent occasionally the bang indicated that they had found something only to have it disappear again now they were all returning to regroup and plan the day's strategy special agent Samantha wakowski was sitting at a card table doing some map work and drinking a large dripping bottle of water when Mack walked up she offered him a grim smile which she didn't return and an extra bottle which he accepted her eyes were sad and tender but her words were all business hey Mac why don't you pull up a chair Mack didn't want to sit down he needed to do something to stop his stomach from churning sensing trouble he stood and waited for her to continue Mac we found something but it's not good news he fumbled for the right words did you find Missy it was the question that he didn't want to hear the answer to but desperately needed to know no we didn't find her Sam paused and started to stand up but I do need you to come and identify something we found down in that old shack I need to know if it was I mean if it is hers his gaze went to the ground he felt a million years old almost wishing he could somehow turn himself into a big unfeeling Rock uh Mac I'm so sorry look we can do this later if you like I just thought he couldn't look at her and even found it difficult to come up with words that he could speak without falling apart he could feel the damn about to burst again let's do it now I want to know everything there is to know Wilkowski must have signaled the others because although Mac didn't hear anything he suddenly felt Amal and Tommy each take one of his arms as they turned and followed the special agent down the short path to the shack three grown men arms locked in some special Grace of solidarity walking together each one toward his own worst nightmare a member of the forensic team opened the door of the shack to let them in generator powered lighting illuminated every part of the main room shelving lying the walls an old table a few chairs and an old sofa that someone had hauled in with no little effort Mack immediately saw what he had come to identify and turning crumpled into the arms of his two friends and began to weep uncontrollably on the floor by the fireplace lay misses torn and blood-soaked red dress for Mac the next few days and weeks became an emotion-numbing blur of interviews with law enforcement and the Press followed by a memorial service for Missy with a small empty coffin and an Endless Sea of Faces all sad as they paraded by no one knowing what to say sometime during the weeks that followed Mac began the slow and painful merging back into everyday life the little lady killer it seemed was credited with taking his fifth victim Melissa Ann Phillips as was true in the other four cases authorities never recovered Missy's body even though search teams had scoured the forest around the shack for days after its discovery as in every other instance the killer had left no fingerprints and no DNA he left no useful evidence anywhere only the PIN it was as if the man were a ghost at some point in the process Mack attempted to emerge from his own pain and grief at least with his family they had lost a sister and daughter but it would be wrong for them to lose a father and husband as well although no one involved was left unmarked by the tragedy Kate seemed to have been affected the most disappearing into a shell like a turtle protecting its soft underbelly from anything potentially dangerous it seemed that she would only poke her head out when she felt fully safe which was becoming less and less often Mack and Nan both worried increasingly about her but couldn't seem to find the right words to penetrate The Fortress she was building around her heart attempts at conversation would turn into one-way monologues with sounds bouncing off her Stone Visage it was as if something had died inside her and now was slowly infecting her from the inside spilling out occasionally in bitter words or emotionless silence Josh fared much better due in part to the long distance relationship he had kept up with Amber email in the telephone gave him an outlet for his pain and she had given him the time and space to grieve he was also preparing to graduate from high school with all the distractions that his senior year provided the great sadness had descended and in differing degrees cloaked everyone whose lives had touched misses Mac and Nan weathered the storm of lost together with reasonable success and in some ways we're closer for it Nan had made it clear from the start and repeatedly that she did not blame Mack in any way for what happened understandably it took Mac much longer to let himself off the hook even a little bit it is so easy to get sucked into the if only game and playing it is a short and slippery slide into despair if only he had decided not to take the kids on that trip if only it said no when they asked to use the canoe if only he had left the day before if only only if only and then to have it all end with nothing the fact that he was unable to bury Missy's body magnified his failure as her daddy that she was still out there somewhere alone in the forest haunted him every day now three and a half years later Missy was officially presumed to have been murdered life would never be normal again not that any time is really ever normal it would be so empty without his Missy the tragedy had also increased the rift in Mack's own relationship with God but he ignored this growing sense of Separation instead he tried to embrace a stoic unfeeling faith and even though Mack found some comfort and peace in that it didn't stop the nightmares where his feet were stuck in the mud and his soundless screams could not save his precious Missy the bad dreams were becoming less frequent and laughter and moments of Joy were slowly returning but he felt guilty about these so when Mac received the note from papa telling him to meet him back at the shack it was no small event does God even write notes and why the shack the icon of his deepest pain certainly God would have better places to meet with him a dark thought even crossed his mind that the killer could be taunting him or luring him away to leave the rest of his family unprotected maybe it was all just a cruel hoax but then why was it signed Papa try as he might Mac could not escape the desperate possibility that the note just might be from God after all even if the thought of God passing notes did not fit well with his theological training in seminary he'd been taught that God had completely stopped and he overt communication with moderns preferring to have them only listened to and follow sacred scripture properly interpreted of course God's voice had been reduced to paper and even that paper had to be moderated and deciphered by the proper authorities and intellects it seemed that direct communication with God was something exclusively for the Ancients and uncivilized while educated westerners access to God was mediated and controlled by the Intelligentsia nobody wanted God in a box just in a book especially an expensive one Bound in leather with Gilt edges or was that guilt g-u-i-l-t edges the more mac thought about it the more confused and irritated he became who sent the damn note whether it was God or the killer or some prankster what did it matter whichever way he looked at it it felt like he was being toyed with in any way what good was following God at all look where it got him but in spite of his anger and depression Mack knew that he needed some answers he realized he was stuck in Sunday prayers and hymns weren't cutting it anymore if they ever really had cloistered spirituality seemed to change nothing in the lives of the people he knew except maybe Nan but she was special God might really love her she wasn't a screw-up like him he was sick of God and God's religion sick of all the little religious Social Clubs that didn't seem to make any real difference or affect any real changes yes Mack wanted more and he was about to get much more than he bargained for Guess Who's Coming to Dinner we routinely disqualified testimony that would plead for extenuation that is we are so persuaded of the rightness of our judgment as to invalidate evidence that does not confirm Us in it nothing that deserves to be called Truth could ever be arrived at by such means Marilyn Robinson the death of Adam there are times when you choose to believe something that would normally be considered absolutely irrational it doesn't mean that it is actually irrational but it surely is not rational perhaps there is Supra rationality reason beyond the normal definitions of fact or database logic something that only makes sense if you can see a bigger picture of reality maybe that is where Faith fits in Mac wasn't sure about a lot of things but at some time in his heart and mind during the days following his Tif with the icy driveway he became convinced that there were three plausible explanations for the note it was either from God as absurd as that sounded a cruel joke or something more Sinister from Missy's killer regardless the note dominated his thoughts every waking minute and his dreams at night secretly he began to make plans to travel to the shack the following weekend at first he told no one not even Nan he had no reasonable defense in any exchange that would result after such a disclosure and he was afraid that he might get locked up and the key thrown away he rationalized such a conversation would only bring more pain with no resolution I am keeping it to myself for Nan's sake he told himself besides acknowledging the note would mean admitting that he had kept secrets from her Secrets he still justified in his own mind sometimes honesty can be incredibly messy convinced of the rightness of his impending Journey Mack began to consider ways to get the family away from home for the weekend without rousing any suspicions there was the slim possibility that the killer was trying to lure him out of town leaving the family unprotected and that was not acceptable but he was stumped Nan was too perceptive for him to show his hand in any way and doing so would just lead to questions that he was not ready to answer fortunately for Mac it was Nan herself who profit a solution she had been toying with the idea of visiting her sister and family up in the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington her brother-in-law was a child psychologist and Nan thought that getting his insights on Kate's increasingly anti-social Behavior might be very helpful especially since neither She nor Mack were having any success getting through to her when she brought up the possibility of the trip Mack was almost too eager in his response of course you were going that was not the reply she had anticipated and she gave him a quizzical look I mean I think that's a great idea I will miss you all of course but I think I can survive alone for a couple days and I have lots to do anyway she Shrugged it off perhaps grateful that the path for her to leave had opened so easily I just think it would be good for Kate especially to get away for a few days he nodded in agreement a quick call to Nan's sister and their trip was set the house soon became a whirlwind of activity Josh and Kate were both delighted this would extend their spring break for a week they love visiting their cousins and we're an easy sell on the whole idea not that they really had any choice in the matter on the sly Mack called up Willie And while trying rather unsuccessfully to not divulge too much information asked if he could borrow his friend's four-wheel drive jeep since Nan was taking the van he needed something better than his own little car to negotiate the pitted roads in the reserve which would most likely still be buried in Winter's grip Max odd request predictably started a barrage of questions from Willie questions that Mack tried to answer as evasively as he could When Willy bluntly asked if Mack's intention was a trip to the shack Mack told him that while he could not answer his questions at that moment he would explain fully When Willy came over in the morning to exchange vehicles late Thursday afternoon Mack saw Nan Kate and Josh off with hugs and kisses all around and then he slowly began his own preparations for the long drive to Northeastern Oregon to the place of his nightmares he reasoned that he wouldn't need much if God had sent the invitation but just in case he loaded up a cooler with much more than enough for the miles he would be traveling and then added a sleeping bag some candles matches and a number of other survival items there was no doubt the possibility that he had turned into a complete idiot or was the butt of some ugly prank but he would then be free to just drive away a knock at the door startled Mac from his concentration and he could see that it was Willy their conversation must have been sufficiently perplexing to Warrant an early visit Mack was just relieved that Nan had already left I'm in here Willie in the kitchen a moment later Willie poked his head around the hall corner and shook his head looking at the mess that Mac had made he leaned against the door jamb and crossed his arms well I brought the Jeep and it's full of gas but I'm not handing over the keys until you tell me exactly what is going on Matt continued piling things into a couple bags for the trip he knew it was no use lying to his friend and he needed the Jeep I'm going back to the shack Willie well I figured that much out already what I want to know is why you even want to go back there especially at this time of year I don't know if my old Jeep will even keep us on the roads up there but just in case I put some chains in the back if we need him without looking at him Mack walked to the office pried the lid off the small tin box and took out the note re-entering the kitchen he handed it to Willie his friend unfolded the paper and read silently jeez what kind of Looney Kook would write you something like this and who is this Papa well you know Papa Nan's favorite name for God Mack Shrugged not sure what else to say he took back the note and slid it into his shirt pocket wait you aren't thinking this is really from God are you Max stopped and turned to facing he had just about finished packing anyway Willie I'm not sure what to think about this I mean at first I thought it was just a hoax and it made me angry and sick to my stomach maybe I'm just losing it I know it sounds crazy but somehow I feel strangely drawn to find out for sure I gotta go Willy or it'll drive me nuts forever have you thought of the possibility that this might be the killer what if he's luring you back for some reason of course I've thought of that part of me won't be disappointed if it is I have a score to settle with him but that doesn't make a lot of sense either I'm not thinking the killer would sign this note Papa you have to really know our family to come up with that Willie was perplexed and no one who knows us that well would ever send a note like this I'm thinking only God would Maybe but God doesn't do stuff like that at least I've never heard of him sending someone a note not that he couldn't but you know what I mean and why would he want you to return to the shack anyway I can't think of a worse place the silence that hung between them grew awkward Mack leaned back against the counter and stared a hole through the floor before speaking I'm not sure Willie I guess part of me would like to believe that God would care enough about me to send a note I'm so confused even after all this time I just don't know what to think and it isn't getting better I feel like we're losing Kate and that's killing me maybe what happened to Missy is God's judgment for what I did to my own dad I just don't know he looked up into the face of a man who cared more about him than anyone he knew except Nan all I know is that I need to go back there was silence between them before Willie spoke again so when do we leave Mack was touched by his friend's willingness to jump into his insanity thanks buddy but I really need to do this alone I thought you'd say that Willie responded as he turned and walked out of the room he returned a few moments later with a pistol and a box of shells in his hands he gently laid them on the counter and I figured I wouldn't be able to talk you out of going so I thought you might need this I believe you know how to use it Mack looked at the gun he knew Willie meant well and was trying to help Willie I can't it's been 30 years since I last touched a gun and I don't intend to now if I learned anything back then it was that using violence to solve a problem always landed me in a worse problem but what if it is Missy's killer what if he's waiting for you up there what are you gonna do then I honestly don't know Willie I'll take my chances I guess but you'll be defenseless there's no telling what he has in mind or in hand just take it Mac Willie slid the pistol and shells across the counter toward him you don't have to use it Mac looked down at the gun and after some deliberation reached slowly for it and the shells putting them carefully in his pocket okay just in case he then turned to pick up some of his equipment and arms loaded headed out toward the Jeep Willy grabbed the large duffel bag remaining finding it heavier than he had anticipated and grunted as he hoisted it geez Mack if you think God is going to be up there why all the supplies Max smiled rather sadly I just thought I'd cover my bases you know be prepared for whatever happens or doesn't they made their way out of the house to the driveway where the Jeep sat Willie pulled the keys out of his pocket and handed them to Mac so where is everybody what did Nan think of you heading out for the shack I can't imagine she was real pleased Nan and the kids are visiting her sister up in the islands and I didn't tell her what you never keep secrets from her I can't believe you lied to her I didn't lie to her well excuse me for splitting hairs okay you didn't lie to her because you didn't tell her the whole truth oh yeah she's going to understand that all right he rolled his eyes Mack ignored the outburst and walked back to the house and into his office there he found the spare set of keys for his car and home and hesitating for just a moment picked up the small tin box he then headed back out toward Willie Soho what do you think he looks like who God of course what do you think you'll look like if he even bothers to show up I mean boy I can just see you scaring The Living Daylights out of some poor hiker asking him if he's God and then demanding answers and all Matt grinned at the thought I don't know maybe he's a really bright light or a burning bush I've always sort of pictured him as a really big grandpa with a long white flowing beard sort of like Gandalf and tolkien's Lord of the Rings he Shrugged and handed Willie his keys and they exchanged a brief hug Willie climbed into Mac's car and rolled down the driver's window well if he does show say hi for me tell him I have a few questions of my own and Mac try not to piss him off they both laughed seriously I'm concerned for you buddy I wish I was going with you or Nan or someone I hope you find everything you need up there I will be saying a prayer or two for you thanks Willie I love you too he waved as Willy backed out of the driveway Mack knew that his friend would keep his word he probably could use all the prayers he could get he watched until Willy was around the corner and out of sight then slipped the note from his shirt pocket read it one more time and then placed it into the little tin box which he deposited on the passenger seat amongst some of the other gears stacked there locking the doors he headed back into the house in a sleepless night well Before Dawn on Friday Mack was already out of town and traveling down I-84 . Nana called the night before from her sisters to let him know that they had made it safe and sound and he didn't expect to get another call until at least Sunday by that time he would probably be on his way back if he wasn't home already he forwarded the house phone to his cell just in case not that he would have any reception once he was into the reserve he retraced the same path he had taken three and a half years before with a few minor changes not as many potty breaks and he sailed by Multnomah Falls without looking he had pushed away any thoughts of the place since Missy's disappearance sequestering his emotions securely in the padlock basement of his own heart on the long stretch up the gorge Mack felt a creeping Panic began to penetrate his consciousness he tried to avoid thinking about what he was doing and just keep putting one foot in front of the other but like grass pushing through concrete the repressed feelings and fears somehow began to poke through his eyes darkened and His Hands tightened on the steering wheel as he fought the Temptation at every off-ramp to turn around and go home he knew he was driving straight into the center of his pain The Vortex of the great sadness that it so diminished his sense of being alive flashes of visual memory and stabbing instance of blistering Fury now came in waves attended by the taste of bile and blood in his mouth he finally reached Legrand where he gassed up and then took Highway 82 out to Joseph he was half tempted to stop and look in on Tommy but decided against it if you were people who thought he was a raving lunatic the better instead he topped off his tank and headed out traffic was light and the imnaha and smaller roads were remarkably clear and dry for this time of year much warmer than he had expected but it seemed that the farther he drove the slower he traveled as if the shack was somehow repelling his approach the Jeep crossed the snow line as he climbed the last couple of miles to the trail that would take him down to the shack above the wine of the engine he could hear the tires crunch doggedly through the deepening snow and ice even after a couple of wrong turns and some backtracking it was only early afternoon when Mack finally pulled over and parked at the barely visible trailhead he sat there for almost five minutes reprimanding himself for being such a fool with every mile that he had traveled from Joseph the memories had come back with adrenaline Clarity and now he was mentally certain that he wanted to go no farther inner compulsion to press on was irresistible even as he argued with himself he buttoned up his coat and reached for his leather gloves he stood and stared down the path deciding to leave everything in the car and Hike the mile or so down to the lake at least that way he wouldn't have to Lug anything back up the hill when he returned to leave which he now expected would be in very short order it was cold enough that his breath hung in the air around him and it even felt like it might snow the pain that had been building in his stomach finally pushed him into panic after only five steps he stopped and wretched so strongly that it brought him to his knees please help me he stood up on shaky legs and took another step away from the car then he stopped and turned back he opened the passenger door and reached in rummaging around until he felt the small tin box he pried the lid off and found what he was looking for his favorite picture of Missy which he removed along with the note replacing the lid he left the Box on the seat he paused for a moment looking at the glove box finally he opened it and grabbed Willie's gun checking to make sure it was loaded and the safety was on standing up he closed the door reached under his coat and stuck the gun in his belt in the small of his back he turned and faced the path once more taking one last look at Missy's picture before sliding it into his shirt pocket alongside the note if they found him dead at least they would know who had been on his mind the trail was treacherous the Rocks icy and slippery every step took concentration as he descended into the thickening Forest it was eerily quiet the only sounds he could hear were the crunch of his steps on the snow and the heaviness of his breathing Max started feeling like he was being watched and once he even spun around quickly to see if anyone was there as much as he wanted to turn and run back to the Jeep his feet seemed to have a will of their own determined to continue down the path and deeper into the dimly lit and increasingly dense Woods suddenly something moved close by startled he froze silent and alert with his heart pounding in his ears and his mouth suddenly dry he slowly reached behind his back sliding the pistol from his belt snapping off the safety he peered intensely into the dark underbrush trying to see or hear anything that might explain the noise and slow the rush of adrenaline but whatever had moved had now stopped was it waiting for him just in case he stood motionless for a few minutes before he began again inching his way farther down the trail trying to be as quiet as possible the forest seemed to close in around him and he began to seriously wonder if he had taken the wrong path out of the corner of his eye he again saw a movement and instantly crouched down peering between the low branches of a nearby tree something ghostly like a shadow slipped into the brush or had he only imagined it again he waited not shifting a muscle was that God he doubted it maybe an animal he couldn't remember if there were wolves up here and deer or elk would make more noise and then the thought he had been avoiding what if it was worse what if he had been lured up here but for what slowly rising from his hiding place guns still drawn he took a step forward when suddenly the bush behind him seemed to explode Mack whipped around scared and ready to fight for his life but before he could squeeze the trigger he recognized the rear end of a badger scampering back up the trail he slowly exhaled the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding lowered his gun and shook his head Mack the courageous had been reduced to just another scared boy in the woods snapping the safety back on he tucked the gun away someone could get hurt he thought with a sigh of relief taking another deep breath and exhaling slowly he calmed himself determined that he was done being afraid he continued down the path trying to look more confident than he felt he hoped he hadn't come all his way for nothing if God was really meeting him here he was more than ready to get a few things off his chest respectfully of course a few turns later he stumbled out of the woods and into a clearing at the far side and down the slope he saw it again The Shack he stood staring at it his stomach a ball of motion and turmoil on the surface it seemed that nothing had changed other than the Winter's stripping of the deciduous trees and the white shroud of snow that blanketed the surroundings The Shack itself looked dead and empty but as he stared it seemed for a moment to transform into an evil face Twisted in some demonic Grimace looking straight back at him and daring him to approach ignoring the rising Panic he was feeling Mack walked with resolve down the last hundred yards and up onto the porch the memories and horror of the last time he stood at this door came flooding back and he hesitated before pushing it open hello he called not too loudly clearing his throat he called again this time louder hello anybody here his voice echoed off The Emptiness inside feeling Bolder he stepped completely Across the Threshold and stopped as his eyes adjusted in the dimness he began to make out the details of the room by the afternoon light filtering in through the broken windows stepping into the main room he recognized the old chairs and table Mac couldn't help himself as his eyes were drawn to the one place he could not bear to look even after a few years The Faded blood stain was still clearly visible in the wood near the fireplace where they had found Missy's dress I'm so sorry honey tears began to well up in his eyes and finally his heart exploded like a flash flood releasing his pent-up anger and letting it Rush down the rocky Canyons of his emotions turning his eyes heavenward he began screaming his anguish questions why why did you let this happen why did you bring me here of all the places to meet you right here wasn't enough to kill my baby do you have to toy with me too in a blind rage Mac grabbed the nearest chair and flung it at the window it smashed into pieces he picked up one of the legs and began destroying everything he could groans and moans of Despair and fury spat through his lips as he beat his wrath into this terrible place I hate you in a frenzy he pounded out his rage until he was exhausted and spent sparing and defeated Max slumped to the floor next to the bloodstain he touched it carefully this was all that was left of his Missy as he lay next to her his fingers tenderly traced the discolored edges Missy I'm so sorry I'm sorry I couldn't protect you sorry I couldn't find you even in his exhaustion the anger deceived and he once again took aim at the indifferent God he imagined somewhere beyond the roof of the shack God you couldn't even let us find her and bury her properly was that just too much to ask as the mix of emotions ebbed and flowed his anger giving way to pain a fresh wave of Sorrow began to mix with his confusion so where are you I thought you wanted to meet me here well I'm here God and you you're nowhere to be found you've never been around what I needed you not when I was a little boy that when I lost Missy not now some Papa you are Max sat there in silence The Emptiness of the place invading his soul his jumble of unanswered questions and far-flung accusations settled to the floor with him and then slowly drained into a pit of desolation the great sadness tightened around him and he almost welcomed the smothering sensation this pain he knew he was familiar with it almost like a friend Matt could feel the gun in the small of his back and inviting Cole pressed against his skin he pulled it out not sure what he was going to do ah to stop caring stop feeling the pain and never feel anything again suicide at the moment that option was almost attractive it would be so easy No More Tears no more pain you could almost see a Black Chasm opening up in the floor behind the gun he was staring at a Darkness sucking any last vestiges of Hope from his heart killing himself would be one way to strike back at God if God even existed clouds parted outside and a Sunbeam suddenly spilled into the room piercing the center of his despair but what about Nan what about Josh or Kate or Tyler and John as much as he longed to stop the ache in his heart he knew he could not add to their hurt Max sat in his emotionally spent stupor weighing the options in the feel of the gun a cold breeze brushed past his face and part of him wanted to just lie down and freeze to death he was so exhausted he slumped back against the wall and rubbed his weary eyes he let them fall closed I love you Missy I miss you so much soon he drifted without effort into dead sleep it was probably only minutes later that Mack woke with a jerk surprised that he nodded off he stood up quickly stuffing the gun back into his waistband and his anger back into the deepest part of his soul he started for the door this is ridiculous I'm such an idiot to think that I hope God might actually care enough to send me a note he looked up into the open rafters I'm done God I can't do this anymore I'm tired of trying to find you in all of this and with that he walked out the door Mack determined that this was the last time he would go looking for God if God wanted him God would have to come find him he reached into his pocket and took out the note he had found in his mailbox and tore it into little pieces letting it slowly sift through his fingers to be carried off by the cold wind that had kicked up a weary old man he stepped off the porch and with heavy footsteps and a heavier heart started the hike back to the car [Music] to continue please insert the next CD [Music] thank you he had barely walked 50 feet up the trail when he felt a sudden Rush of warm air overtake him from behind the chirping of a songbird broke the icy silence the path in front of him rapidly lost its veneer of snow and ice as if someone were blow drying it Max stopped and watched as all around him the white covering dissolved and was replaced by emerging and radiant growth three weeks of spring unfurled before him in 30 seconds he rubbed his eyes and steadied himself in the swirl of activity even the light snow that had begun to fall it changed to Tiny blossoms lazily drifting to the ground what he was seeing of course was not possible the snow Banks had vanished and some are wildflowers began to color the borders of the trail and into the forest as far as he could see robins and finches darted after one another among the trees squirrels and Chipmunks occasionally cross the path ahead some stopping to sit up and watch him for a moment before plunging back into the undergrowth he even thought that he glimpsed a young buck emerging out of a dark Glade in the forest but on second look it was gone as if that weren't enough the scent of blooms began to fill the air not just the drifting Aroma of wild mountain flowers but the richness of roses and orchids and other exotic fragrances found in more tropical climes Mac was no longer thinking about home Terror gripped him as if he had opened up Pandora's Box and was being Swept Away into the center of Madness to be lost forever unsteady he carefully turned around trying to hold on to some sense of sanity he was stunned little if anything was the same the dilapidated Shack had been replaced by a sturdy and beautifully constructed Log Cabin now standing directly between him and the lake which you could see just above the Rooftop it was built out of hand-peeled full-length logs everyone scribed for a perfect fit instead of a dark and forbidding overgrowth of brush Briars and devil's club everything that Matt could see was now postcard perfect smoke was lazily wending its way from the chimney into the late afternoon Sky a sign of activity inside a walkway had been built to and around the front porch bordered by a small white picket fence the sound of laughter was coming from nearby maybe inside but he wasn't sure perhaps this is what it was like to experience a complete psychotic break I'm losing it now this can't be happening this isn't real it was a place that Matt could only have imagined in his best dreams and this made it all the more suspect the sights were wondrous the sense intoxicating in his feet as if they had a mind of their own took him back down the walkway and up onto the front porch flowers bloomed everywhere and the mix of floral fragrances and pungent herbs aroused hints of memories long forgotten he had always heard that the nose was the best Link to the Past that the olfactory sense was the strongest for tapping into forgotten history and now some long-stored remembrances of his own childhood flitted through his mind once on the porch he stopped again voices were clearly coming from inside Mack rejected the sudden impulse to run away as if he were some kid would thrown his ball into a neighbor's flower garden but if God is inside it wouldn't do much good anyway would it closed his eyes and shook his head to see if he could erase the hallucination and restore reality but when he opened them it was all still there he tentatively reached out and touched the wood railing certainly seemed real he now faced another dilemma what should you do when you come to the door of a house or cabin in this case where God might be should you knock presumably God already knew that Mack was there maybe he ought to simply walk in and introduce himself but that seemed equally absurd and how should he address him should he call him father or Almighty one or perhaps Mr God and would it be best if he fell down and worshiped not that he was really in the mood has he tried to establish some inner mental balance the anger that he thought had so recently died inside him began to emerge no longer concerned or caring about what to call God and energized by his ire he walked up to the door Mac decided to bang loudly and see what happened but just as he raised his fist to do so the door flew open and he was looking directly into the face of a large beaming African-American woman instinctively he jumped back but he was too slow with speed that belied her size she crossed the distance between them and engulfed him in her arms lifting him clear off his feet and spinning him around like a little child and all the while she was shouting his name Mackenzie Allen Phillips with the order of someone seeing a long lost and deeply loved relative she finally put him back on Earth and with her hands on his shoulders pushed him back as if to get a good look at him Mack look at you here you are and so grown up I have really been looking forward to seeing you face to face it is so wonderful to have you here with us my my my how I do love you and with that she wrapped herself around him again Mack was speechless in a few seconds this woman had breached pretty much every social propriety behind which he had so safely entrenched himself but something in the way that she had looked at him and yelled his name made him equally delighted to see her too even though he didn't have a clue who she was suddenly he was overwhelmed by the scent emanating from her and it shook him it was the smell of flowers with overtones of Gardenia and Jasmine unmistakably his mother's perfume that he had kept hidden away in his little tin box he had already been perched precariously on the precipice of emotion and now the flooding scent and attendant memory staggered him he could feel the warmth of Tears beginning to gather behind his eyes as if they were knocking on the door of his heart it seemed that she saw them too it's okay honey you can let it all out I know you've been hurt and I know you're angry and confused so go ahead let it out it does a soul good to let the waters run once in a while The Healing Waters but while Mac could not stop the tears from filling his eyes he was not ready to let go not yet not with this woman with every effort he could muster he kept himself from falling back into the black hole of his emotions meanwhile this woman stood there with her arms outstretched as if they were the very arms of his mother felt the presence of love it was warm inviting melting not ready that's okay we'll do things on your terms and time well come on in can I take your coat and that gun you don't really need that do you we wouldn't want anyone to get hurt would we Mack wasn't sure what to do or what to say who was she and how did she know he was rooted to the spot where he stood but slowly and mechanically he took off his coat the large black woman gathered his coat and he handed her the gun which she took from him with two fingers as if it was contaminated he just as she turned to enter the cabin a small distinctively Asian woman emerged from behind her here let me take those her voice sang obviously she had not met the coat or gun but something else and she was in front of him in a blink of an eye he stiffened as he felt something sweep gently across his cheek without moving he looked down and could see that she was busy with a fragile Crystal bottle and a small brush like those he'd seen Nan and Kate use for makeup gently removing something from his face before he could ask she smiled and whispered Mackenzie we all have things we value enough to collect don't we his little tin box flashed through his mind collect tears as she stepped back found himself involuntarily squinting in her direction as if doing so would allow his eyes to see her better but strangely he still had a difficult time focusing on her she seemed almost to Shimmer in the light and her hair blew in all directions even though there was hardly a breeze it was almost easier to see her out of the corner of his eye than it was to look at her directly he then glanced past her and noticed that a third person had emerged from the cabin this one a man he appeared Middle Eastern and was dressed like a laborer complete with tool belt and gloves he stood easily leaning against the door jamb with his arms crossed in front of him wearing jeans covered in wood dust and a plaid shirt with sleeves rolled just above the elbows revealing well-muscled forearms his features were pleasant enough but he was not particularly handsome not a man who would stick out in a crowd but his eyes and smile lit up his face and Mac found it difficult to look away Max stepped back again feeling a bit overwhelmed are there more of you the three looked at one another and laughed Mac couldn't help but smile no Mackenzie where's all that you get and believe me we're more than enough tried again to look at the Asian woman from what he could tell this wiry looking person was maybe of Northern Chinese or Nepalese or even Mongolian ethnicity it was hard to tell because his eyes had to work to see her at all from her clothing Mac assumed she was a groundskeeper or Gardener she had gloves folded into her belt not the heavy Leathers of the man but the lightweight cloth and rubber ones that Mack himself used for yard work at home she was dressed in plain jeans with ornamental designs at the fringes knees covered in dirt from where she had been kneeling and a brightly colored blouse with splashes of yellow and red and blue but he knew all this as more an impression of her than from actually seeing her as she seemed to phase in and out of his vision the man then stepped in touched Mac on the shoulder gave him a kiss on both cheeks and embraced him strongly Mac knew instantly that he liked him as they separated the man stepped back and the Asian lady moved toward him again this time taking his face in both her hands gradually and intentionally she moved her face closer to his and just when he imagined she was going to kiss him she stopped and looked deep into his eyes Mack thought he could almost see through her then she smiled and her sense seemed to wrap themselves around him and lift a huge weight off his shoulders as if he had been carting his gear in a backpack Max suddenly felt lighter than air almost as if he were no longer touching the ground she was hugging him without hugging him or really without even touching him only when she pulled back which was probably just seconds later did he realize that he was still standing on his feet and that his feet were still touching the deck oh don't mind her she has that effect on everyone I like it all three burst into more laughter and now Mack found himself laughing along with him not knowing exactly why and not really caring either when they finally stopped giggling the large woman put her arm around Mac's shoulders and Drew him to her okay we know who you are but we should probably introduce ourselves to you I she waved her hands with a flourish and the housekeeper and cook you may call me ellucia ellucia asked Mac not comprehending at all okay you don't have to call me ellucia it's just the name I'm rather fond of and has particular meaning to me so she crossed her arms and put one hand under her chin as if thinking especially hard you could call me what Nan does what you don't mean now Mack was surprised and even more confused surely this was not the papa who sent the note I mean are you saying Papa yes she responded and smiled waiting for him to speak as if you're about to say something which he was not at all and I interrupted the man who looked to be about in his 30s and stood a little shorter than mac himself I tried to keep things fixed up around here I enjoy working with my hands although as these two will tell you I take pleasure in cooking and gardening as much as they do you look as if you're from the Middle East maybe Arab actually I'm a stepbrother of that great family I am Hebrew to be exact from the house of Judah then then you are Jesus yes and you may call me that if you like after all it has become my common name my mother called me Yeshua but I have also been known to respond to Joshua or even Jesse Max stood dumbfounded in mute what he was looking at and listening to Simply would not compute it was also impossible but here he was or was he really here at all suddenly he felt faint emotion swept over him as his mind attempted desperately to catch up with all the information just as he was about to crumple to his knees the Asian woman stepped closer and deflected his attention and I am sorry you she tilted her head in a slight bow and smiled Keeper of the gardens among other things thoughts tumbled over each other as Max struggled to figure out what to do was one of these people God what if they were hallucinations or angels or God was coming later that could be embarrassing since there were three of them maybe this was a trinity sort of thing but two women and a man and none of them white then again why are they naturally assumed that God would be white he knew his mind was rambling so he focused on the one question he most wanted answered then which one of you is God I am said all three in unison Mack looked from one to the next and even though he couldn't begin to grasp what he was seeing and hearing he somehow believed them a piece of pie no matter what God's power may be the first aspect of God is never that of the absolute Master the Almighty it is that of The God Who puts himself on our human level and limits himself Jacques Anarchy and Christianity well Mackenzie don't just stand there gawken with your mouth open like your parents are full come and talk to me while I get supper on or if you don't want to do that you can do whatever you want behind the cabin she gestured over the roof without looking or slowing down you will find a fishing pole by the boat shed that you can use to catch some lake trout she stopped at the door to give Jesus a kiss she turned look back at Mac just remember you gotta clean what you catch then with a quick smile she disappeared into the cabin armed with Max winter coat and still carrying the gun by two fingers a full arms length away from her Mack was standing there with his mouth indeed open and an expression of bewilderment plastered to his face he hardly noticed when Jesus walked over and put an arm around his shoulder Sarah you seem to have just evaporated isn't she great Mack turned and faced him shaking his head am I going crazy am I supposed to believe that God is a big black woman with a questionable sense of humor [Laughter] she's a riot you can always count on her to throw you a curve or two she loves surprises and even though you might not think it her timing is always perfect really said Mack still shaking his head and not sure if he really believed that so now what am I supposed to do you're not supposed to do anything you're free to do whatever you like Jesus paused and then continued trying to help by giving Mac a few suggestions I am working on a wood project in the shed sarayu is in the garden or you could go fishing canoeing or go in and talk to Papa well I sort of feel obligated to go in and talk to him uh her oh don't go because you feel obligated that won't get you any points around here go because it's what you want to do Mac thought for a moment and decided that going into the cabin actually was what he wanted to do he thanked Jesus who smiled turned and headed off to his workshop and Mac stepped across the deck and up to the door again he was alone but after a quick look around he carefully opened it he stuck his head in hesitated and then decided to take the plunge God he felt more than a little foolish I'm in the kitchen Mackenzie just follow my voice he walked in and scanned the room could this even be the same place he shuddered at The Whisper of lurking dark thoughts and again locked them out across the room a hallway disappeared at an angle glancing around the corner into the living room his eyes searched out the spot near the fireplace but there was no stain marring the wood surface he noticed that the room was decorated Tastefully with art that looked like it had been either drawn or handcrafted by children he wondered if this woman treasured each of these pieces like any parent who loves her children would maybe that was how she valued anything that was given to her from the heart the way children seemed to give so easily Mack followed her soft humming down a short hallway and into an open kitchen dining area complete with a small four-seat table and wicker back chairs the inside of the cabin was roomier than he had expected Papa was working on something with her back to him flower flying as she swayed to the music of whatever she was listening to the song obviously came to an end marked by a couple of last shoulder and hip shakes turning to face him she took off the earphones suddenly Mack wanted to ask a thousand questions or say a thousand things some of them unspeakable and terrible he was sure that his face betrayed the emotions he was battling to control and then in a flash of a second he shoved everything back into his battered Hearts closet locking the door on the way out if she knew his inner conflict she showed nothing by her expression still open full of life and inviting may I ask what you're listening to you really want to know sure now Mack was curious West Coast juice group called diatribe and an album that isn't even out yet called heart trips actually she winked at Mac these kids haven't even been born yet right West Coast juice huh it doesn't sound very religious oh trust me it's not more like Eurasian Funk and blues with a message and a great beat she sidestepped toward Mac as if she were doing a dance move and clapped Mac stepped back so God listens to Funk Mac had never heard Funk talked about in any properly righteous terms I thought you would be listening to George Beverly Shea or the Mormon Tabernacle Choir you know something churchier now see here Mackenzie you don't have to be looking out for me I listen to everything and not just to the music itself but the hearts behind it don't you remember your Seminary classes these kids ain't saying anything I haven't heard before they're just full of vinegar and Fizz lots of anger and I must say with some good reason too they're just some of my kids showing and spouting off I am especially fond of those boys you know yep I'll be keeping my eye on them Max struggled to keep up with her to make some sense of what was happening none of his old Seminary training was helping in the least he was at a sudden loss for words and his million questions had all seemed to abandon him so he stated the obvious you must know calling you papa is a bit of a stretch for me oh really of course I know I always know but tell me why do you think it's hard for you is it because it's too familiar for you or maybe because I'm showing myself as a woman a mother or no small issue there or maybe it's because of the failures of your own Papa Mac gasped involuntarily he wasn't used to having deep secret surface so quickly and openly instantly guilt and anger welled up and he wanted to lash out with a sarcastic remark and response Mac felt as if he were dangling over a bottomless Chasm and was afraid if he let any of it out he would lose control of everything he sought for safe footing but was only partially successful maybe it's because I've never known anyone I could really call Papa at that she put down the mixing bowl that had been cradled in her arm and leaving The Wooden Spoon in it she turned toward Mac with tender eyes she didn't have to say it he knew she understood what was going on inside of him and somehow he knew she cared about him more than anyone ever had if you let me mac I'll be the papa you never had the offer was at once inviting and at the same time repulsive he'd always wanted a Papa he could trust but he wasn't sure he'd find it here especially if this one couldn't even protect his Missy a long silence hung between them Mac was uncertain what to say and she was in no hurry to let the moment pass easily if you couldn't take care of Missy how can I trust you to take care of me there said it the question that had tormented him every day of the great sadness Mack felt his face flush angry red as he stared at what he now considered to be some odd characterization of God and he realized his hands were nodded into Fists tears began to Trail down her cheeks Mack I'm so sorry I know what a great goal this has put between us I know you don't understand this yet but I am especially fond of Missy and you too he loved the way she said Missy's name and yet he hated it coming from her it rolled off her tongue like the sweetest wine and even through all the fury still raging in his mind he somehow knew she meant it he wanted to believe her and slowly some of his rage began to subside that's why you're here Mac I want to heal the womb that is grown inside of you and between us to gain some control he turned his eyes toward the floor it was a full minute before he had enough to whisper without looking up I think I'd like that but I don't see how honey there's no easy answer that will take your pain away believe me if I had one I'd use it now I have no magic wand to wave over you and make it all better life takes a bit of time and a lot of relationship Mac was glad they were stepping back from the edge of his ugly accusation it had scared him how near he had come to being totally overwhelmed by it I think it'd be easier to have this conversation if you weren't wearing a dress he attempted A Smile as weak as it was if it were easier then I wouldn't be I'm not trying to make this harder for either of us but this is a good place to start I often find that getting head issues out of the way first makes the heart stuff easier to work on later when you're ready she picked up the wooden spoon again dripping with some sort of batter Mackenzie I am neither male nor female even though both genders are derived from my nature if I choose to appear to you as a man or woman it's because I love you for me to appear to you as a woman and suggest that you call me papa is simply to mix metaphors to help you keep from falling so easily back into your religious conditioning she leaned forward as if to share a secret to reveal myself to you as a very large white grandfather figure with flowing beard like Gandalf would simply reinforce your religious stereotypes this weekend is not about reinforcing your religious stereotypes Mac almost laughed out loud and wanted to say you think I'm over here barely believing that I'm not Stark raving mad instead he focused on what she had just said and regained his composure he believed in his head at least that God was a spirit neither male nor female but in spite of that he was embarrassed to admit to himself that all his visuals for God were very white and very male she stopped talking but only long enough to put away some seasonings into a spice rack on a Ledge by the window and then turned to face him again she looked at Mac intently hasn't it always been a problem for you to embrace me as your father and after what you've been through you couldn't very well handle a father right now could you he knew she was right and he realized the kindness and compassion in what she was doing somehow the way she had approached him had skirted his resistance to her love it was strange and painful and maybe even a little bit wonderful but then he paused still focused on staying rational why is there such an emphasis on you being a father I mean it seems to be the way you most reveal yourself well responded Papa turning away from him and bustling around the kitchen there are many reasons for that and some of them go very deep let me say for now that we knew once the creation was broken true fathering would be much more lacking than mothering don't misunderstand me both are needed but an emphasis on fathering is necessary because of the enormity of its absence Mac turned away a bit bewildered feeling he was already in over his head as he reflected he looked through the window at a wild looking Garden you knew I would come didn't you of course I did she was busy again her back to him then was I free not to come did I not have a choice in the matter Papa turned back to face him now with flower and dough in her hands good question how deep would you like to go she didn't wait for a response knowing that Mac didn't have one instead she asked do you believe you were free to leave I suppose I am am I of course you are I'm not interested in prisoners you're free to walk out that door right now and go home to your empty house or you could go down to the grind and hang out with Willie just because I know you're too curious to go does that reduce your freedom to leave she paused only briefly and then turned back to her task talking to him over her shoulder or if you want to go just a wee bit deeper we could talk about the nature of Freedom itself does freedom mean that you were allowed to do whatever you want to do or we could talk about all the limiting influences in your life that actively work against your freedom your family genetic Heritage your specific DNA your metabolic uniqueness the quantum stuff that is going on at a subatomic level where only I am the always present Observer or the intrusion of your Soul's sickness that inhibits and binds you or the social influences around you or the habits that have created synaptic bonds and Pathways in your brain and then there's advertising propaganda and paradigms inside that Confluence of multifaceted inhibitors ah what is freedom really Mac just stood there not knowing what to say only I can set you free Mackenzie but Freedom can never be forced I don't understand I don't even understand what you just told me she turned back and smiled I know I didn't tell you so that you would understand right now I told you for later at this point you don't even comprehend that freedom is an incremental process gently reaching out she took Max hands in hers flower covered and all and looking him straight in the eye she continued McKenzie the truth shall set you free and the truth has a name he's over in the wood shop right now covered in sawdust everything is about him and freedom is a process that happens inside a relationship with him then all that stuff you feel churning around inside will start to work its way out know how I feel Mack asked looking back into her eyes Papa didn't answer only look down at their hands his gaze followed hers and for the first time Mack noticed the scars in her wrists like those he now assumed Jesus also had on his she allowed him to tenderly touch the scars outlines of a deep piercing and he finally looked up again into her eyes tears were slowly making their way down her face little pathways through the flower that dusted her cheeks don't ever think that what my son chose to do didn't cost us dearly love always leaves a significant mark we were there together Mac was surprised the cross no wait I thought you left him you know my God my God why hast Thou forsaken me it was a scripture that had often haunted Mac in the great sadness you misunderstand the mystery there regardless of what he felt at that moment I never left him how can you say that you abandoned him just like you abandoned me Mackenzie I never left him and I have never left you that makes no sense to me I know it doesn't at least not yet will you at least consider this when all you can see is your pain perhaps then you lose sight of me when Mac did not respond she turned back to her cooking so as to offer him a little needed space she seemed to be preparing a number of dishes all at once adding various spices and ingredients humming a haunting Little tune she put the finishing touches on the pie that she'd been making and slid it into the oven don't forget the story didn't end in his sense of forsakenness he found his way through it to put himself completely into my hands oh what a moment that was Mac leaned against the counter somewhat bewildered his emotions and thoughts were all jumbled part of him wanted to believe everything Papa was saying that would be nice but another part was objecting rather loudly this can't possibly be true Papa reached for the kitchen timer gave it a little twist and placed it on the table in front of them I'm not who you think I am Mackenzie her words weren't angry or defensive Mac looked at her looked at the timer and sighed I feel totally lost that let's see if we can find you in this mess almost as if On Cue a blue jay landed on the kitchen windowsill and began strutting back and forth Papa reached into a tin on the counter and sliding the window open offered Mr J A mixture of grains that she must have kept just for that purpose without any hesitation and with a seeming air of humility and thankfulness the bird walked straight to her hand and began feeding consider our little friend here most birds were created to fly being grounded for them is a limitation within their ability to fly not the other way around she paused to let Mac think about her statement you on the other hand were created to be loved so for you to live as if you were unloved is a limitation not the other way around Mac nodded his head not so much in full agreement but more as a signal that at least he understood and was tracking that seemed simple enough living unloved is like clipping a bird's wings and removing its ability to fly not something I want for you there's the rub he didn't feel particularly loved at the moment Matt pain has a way of clipping our wings and keeping us from being able to fly she waited a moment allowing her words to settle and if left unresolved for very long you can almost forget that you were ever created to fly in the first place Mac was silent strangely the silence was not that uncomfortable Mack looked at the little bird the bird looked back at Mac he wondered if it was possible for birds to smile at least Mr Jade looked like he was perhaps if only sympathetically I'm not like you Mac it wasn't a put down it was a simple statement of fact but to Mac it felt like a splash of cold water I am God I am who I am and unlike you my wings can't be clipped well that's wonderful for you but where exactly does that leave me mac blurted out sounding more irritated than he would have liked Papa began stroking the little bird brought him up close to her face and said smack dab in the center of my love as the two cuddled nosed beak I'm thinking that bird probably understands that better than I do I know honey that's why we're here why do you think I said I'm not like you well I really have no idea I mean you're God and I'm not she ignored the sarcasm completely yes but not exactly at least not in the way you are thinking Mackenzie I am what some would say holy and holy other than you the problem is that many folks try to grasp some sense of Who I Am by taking the best version of themselves projecting that to the nth degree factoring in all the goodness they can perceive which often isn't much and then call that God and while it may seem like a noble effort the truth is that it falls pitifully short of who I really am not merely the best version of you that you can think of I'm far more than that above and beyond all that you can ask or think I'm sorry but just words to me they don't make much sense even though you can't fully grasp me guess what I still want to be known if you're talking about Jesus right is this going to be a let's try to understand the Trinity sort of thing sort of but this isn't Sunday school this is a flying lesson Mackenzie as you might imagine there are some advantages to being God by Nature I am completely unlimited without bounds I have always known fullness I live in a state of Perpetual satisfaction as my normal state of existence just one of the perks of me being me that made Max smile this lady was fully enjoying herself all by herself and there wasn't an ounce of arrogance to spoil it we created you to share in that but then Adam chose to go it on his own as we knew he would and everything got messed up but instead of scrapping the whole creation we rolled up our sleeves and entered into the middle of the mess that's what we have done in Jesus Mack was hanging in there trying his best to follow a train of thought when we three spoke ourselves into human existence as the Son of God we became fully human we also chose to embrace all the limitations that this entailed even though we have always been present in this created Universe we now became flesh and blood it would be like this bird whose nature it is to fly choosing only to walk and remain grounded he doesn't stop being the bird but it does alter his experience of Life significantly she paused to make sure Mack was still tracking while there was a definite cramp forming in his brain he voiced an okay inviting her to continue although by Nature he is fully God Jesus is fully human and lives as such while never losing the innate ability to fly he chooses Moment by moment to remain grounded that is why his name is Emmanuel God With Us or God with you to be more precise but what about all the Miracles the healings raising people from the dead doesn't that prove that Jesus was God you know more than human no it proves that Jesus is truly human what Mackenzie I Can Fly but humans can't Jesus is fully human although he is also fully God he has never drawn upon his nature as God to do anything he has only lived out of his relationship with me living in the very same manner that I desire to be in relationship with every human being he is just the first to do it to the uttermost the first to absolutely trust my life within him the first to believe in my love and my goodness without regard for appearance or consequence so when he healed the blind he did so as a dependent limited human being trusting in my life and power to be at work within him and through him Jesus as a human being had no power within himself to heal anyone that came as a shock to Max religious system only as he rested in his relationship with me and in our communion our co-union could he express my heart and will into any given circumstance so when you look at Jesus and it appears that he's flying he really is flying but what you are actually seeing is me my life in him that's how he lives and acts as a true human however human is designed to live out of my life a bird's not defined by being grounded but by his ability to fly remember this humans are not defined by their limitations but by the intentions that I have for them not by what they seem to be but by everything it means to be created in my image Mack felt the onset of information overload so he pulled up a chair and just sat down this would take some time to comprehend so does this mean that you were limited when Jesus was on Earth I mean did you limit yourself only to Jesus not at all although I have only been Limited in Jesus I have never been Limited in myself there's that whole Trinity thing which is where I kind of get lost Papa laughed a long Rich belly laugh that made mac want to join in she set the little bird down on the table next to Mac turned to open the oven and gave the pie that was baking a quick little look satisfied that everything was fine Papa then pulled up a chair alongside them Mack looked at the little bird who amazingly was content to just sit there with them the absurdity of it all gave Mac a chuckle to begin with that you can't grasp The Wonder of my nature is rather a good thing who wants to worship a God who can be fully comprehended not much mystery in that but what difference does it make that there are three of you and you are all one God did I say that right right enough Mackenzie it makes all the difference in the world she seemed to be enjoying this we are not three Gods we are not talking about one God with three attitudes like a man who is a husband father and worker I am one God and I am three persons and each of the three is fully and entirely one the ha Mac had been suppressing finally surfaced in all its Glory never mind that what's important is this if I was simply one God and only one person then you would find yourself in this creation without something wonderful without something essential even and I would be utterly other than I am and we would be without Mac didn't even know how to finish the question love and relationship all love and relationship is possible for you only because it already exists within me within God myself love is not the limitation love is the flying I am love as if in response to her declaration the timer dinged and the little bird took off and flew out the window watching the Jay in Flight took on a whole new level of delight he turned back to Papa and just stared at her and wondered she was so beautiful and astonishing and even though he was feeling a little lost and even though the great sadness still attended him he felt himself settling down somewhat into the safety of being close to her you do understand that unless I had an object to love or more accurately a someone to love if I did not have such a relationship Within Myself then I would not be capable of love at all you would have a God who could not love or maybe worse you would have a God who when he chose could only love as a limitation of his nature that kind of God could possibly Act without love then that would be a disaster and that is surely not me with that Papa stood up went to the oven door pulled out the freshly baked pie set it on the counter and turning around as if to presenter self said The God Who is the I am who I am cannot act apart from Love Mac knew that what he was hearing as hard as it was to understand was something amazing and incredible it was as if her words were wrapping themselves around him embracing him and speaking to him in ways Beyond just what he could hear not that he actually believed any of it if only it were true his experience told him otherwise this weekend is about relationship and love now I know you have a lot you want to talk to me about but right now you better go wash up the other two are on their way in for supper she began to walk away but paused and turned back Mackenzie I know that your heart is full of pain and anger and a lot of confusion together you and I will get around to some of that while you're here but I also want you to know that there is more going on than you could imagine or understand even if I told you as much as you are able rest in what trust you have in me no matter how small okay Mac had lowered his head and was looking at the floor she knows small his little must be barely to the right of none in agreement he looked up and noticed again the scars on her wrists Papa Mac finally said in a way that felt very awkward but he was trying yes honey Max struggled for the words to tell her what was in his heart I'm so sorry that you that Jesus had to die she walked around the table and gave Mac another big hug I know you are and thank you but you need to know that we aren't sorry at all it was worth it isn't that right son he turned to ask her question of Jesus who had just entered the cabin absolutely he paused and then looked at Mac and I would have done it even if it were only for you but it wasn't Mack excused himself and found the bathroom where he washed his hands and his face and tried to collect himself God on the dock let's pray that the human race never escapes Earth to spread its iniquity elsewhere C.S Lewis Max stood in the bathroom looking into the mirror while wiping his face dry with a towel he was searching for some sign of insanity in those eyes staring back at him was this real of course not it was impossible but then he reached out his hand and slowly touched the mirror maybe this was a hallucination being brought on by all his grief and despair maybe it was a dream and he was asleep somewhere maybe in the shack freezing to death maybe suddenly a terrible crash broke into his reverie it came from the direction of the kitchen and Mac froze for a moment there was dead silence and then unexpectedly he heard uproarious laughter curious he exited the bathroom and poked his head through the doorway of the kitchen Mac was shocked at the scene in front of him it appeared that Jesus had dropped a large bowl of some sort of batter or sauce on the floor and it was everywhere it must have landed close to Papa because the lower portion of her skirt and bare feet were covered in the gooey mess all three were laughing so hard that Mack didn't think they were breathing sarayu said something about humans being clumsy and all three started roaring again finally Jesus brushed past Mac and returned a minute later with a large Basin of water and towels Sarah you had already started wiping the goop from the floor in cupboards but Jesus went straight to Papa and kneeling at her feet began to wipe off the front of her clothes he worked down to her feet and gently lifted one foot at a time which he directed into the Basin where he cleaned and massaged it oh that feels so good she continued her tasks at the counter as he leaned against the doorway watching Mack's mind was full of thoughts so this was God in relationship it was beautiful and so appealing he knew that it didn't matter whose fault it was the mess from some Bowl had been broken that a dish had been planned would not be shared obviously what was truly important here was the love they had for one another and the fullness it brought them he shook his head how different this was from the way he treated the ones he loved supper was simple but a feast nonetheless roast bird of some kind and an orangey mangoey kind of sauce fresh vegetables spiced with who but God knew what all fruity and gingery Tangy and peppery rice the quality of which Mac had never before tasted could have been a meal by itself the only awkward part was at the very beginning when Mack out of habit bowed his head before he remembered where he was he looked up to find the three of them all grinning at him um thank you all could I have a bit of that Rice there sure we were going to have this incredible Japanese sauce but greasy fingers over there Papa nodded toward Jesus decided to see if it would bounce come on now my hands were slippery what can I say Papa winked at Mac as she passed him the rice you just can't get good help around here everyone laughed conversation seemed almost normal Mack was asked about each of the children except Missy and he talked about their various struggles and triumphs when he spoke of his concerns for Kate the three only nodded with concerned Expressions but offered him no counsel or wisdom he also answered questions about his friends and sarayu seemed most interested in asking about Nan finally Mac blurted out something that had been bothering him throughout the discussion now here I am telling you about my kids and my friends and about Nan but you already know everything that I'm telling you don't you you're acting like it's the first time you heard it Sarah you reached across the table and took his hand Mackenzie remember our conversation earlier about limitation our conversation he glanced over at Papa who was nodding knowingly you can't share with one and not share with us all remember that choosing to stay on the ground is a choice to facilitate a relationship to honor it Mackenzie you do this yourself you don't play a game or color a picture with a child to show your superiority rather you choose to limit yourself so as to facilitate and honor that relationship you will even lose a competition to accomplish love it is not about winning and losing but about love and respect so when I'm telling you about my children we have limited ourselves out of respect for you we are not bringing to mind as it were our knowledge of your children as we are listening to you it is as if this is the first time we have known about them and we take great Delight in seeing them through your eyes I like that Max sat back in his chair you squeezed his hand and seemed to sit back I do too relationships are never about power and one way to avoid the will to power is to choose to limit oneself to serve humans often do this in touching the infirm and sick in serving the ones whose Minds have left to wander in relating to the poor in loving the very old and the very young or even in caring for the other who has assumed a position of power over them well spoken sarayu I'll take care of the dishes later but first I would like to have a time of devotion Mac had to suppress a Snicker the thought of God having devotions images of family devotions from his childhood came spilling into his mind not exactly good memories often it was a tedious and boring exercise in coming up with the right answers or rather the same old answers to the same old Bible story questions and then trying to stay awake during his father's excruciatingly long prayers and when his father had been drinking family devotions devolved into a terrifying Minefield were any wrong answer or inadvertent glance could trigger an explosion he hath expected Jesus to pull out a huge Old King James Bible instead Jesus reached across the table and took Papa's hands in his scars now clearly visible on his wrists Max sat transfixed as he watched Jesus kiss his father's hands and then looked deep into his father's eyes and finally say Papa I loved watching you today as you made yourself fully available to take Max pain into yourself and then give him space to choose his own timing you honored him and you honored me to listen to you whisper love and calm into his heart was truly incredible what a joy to watch I love being your son although Mac felt like he was intruding no one else seemed concerned and he really had no idea where he would have gone in any case to be in the presence of such love expressed seemed to dislodge an inner emotional Log Jam and while he didn't understand exactly what he felt it was good what was he witnessing something simple warm intimate genuine this was holy Holiness had always been a cold and sterile concept to Mac but this was neither concerned that any movement on his part might shatter the moment he simply closed his eyes and folded his hands in front of him listening intently with his eyes shut he heard Jesus move his chair there was a pause before he spoke again Sarah you you wash I'll dry Max eyes snapped open in time to see the two smiling broadly at each other picking up the dishes and disappearing into the kitchen he sat for a few minutes unsure about what to do Papa had gone somewhere and now that the other two were busy with dishes well it was an easy decision he picked up silverware and glasses and he headed for the kitchen as soon as he had put them down for saruyu to wash Jesus tossed him a dish towel and they both began drying sarayu began humming the same evocative tune he'd heard earlier with Papa and Jesus and Max simply listened as they worked more than once the melody stirred Mac deep inside knocking again at the door to him it sounded Gaelic and he could almost hear breath pipes and accompaniment but as difficult as it was for Mac to stay and allow his emotions to well up so powerfully the melody absolutely captured him if he could just keep listening to her he would be thrilled to do dishes the rest of his life 10 minutes or so later they were finished Jesus kissed Sarah you on the cheek and she disappeared around the corner he then turned and smiled at Mac let's go out on the dock and look at the stars what about the others I'm here I'm always here Mac nodded this presence of God thing although hard to grasp seemed to be steadily penetrating past his mind and into his heart he let it go with that come on I know you enjoy looking at stars want to yeah I think so Mack realized that the last time he had done this was on the ill-fated camping trip with the kids maybe it was time to take a few risks he followed Jesus out the back door in the waning moments of Twilight Mack could make out the rocky shore of the lake not overgrown as he remembered but beautifully kept and picture perfect the nearby Creeks seemed to be humming some sort of musical tune protruding about 50 feet into the lake was a dock and Matt could barely make out three canoes tied at intervals along its course night was falling quickly and the distant Darkness was already thick with the sounds of crickets and bullfrogs Jesus took his arm and let him up The Path while his eyes adjusted but already Mack was looking up into a moonless night at The Wonder of the emerging Stars they made their way three quarters up the dock and lay down on their backs looking up the elevation of this place seemed to magnify the heavens and Mack reveled in seeing stars in such numbers and clarity Jesus suggested that they close their eyes for a few minutes allowing the last effects of dust to disappear for the night complied and when he finally opened his eyes the sight was so powerful that he experienced vertigo for a few seconds it almost felt like he was falling up into space the Stars Racing toward him as if to embrace him he lifted his hands imagining that he could reach out and pluck diamonds one by one off of a velvet black sky wow incredible I never get tired of this even though you created it I created it as the word before the word became flesh so even though I created this I see it now as a human and I must say it is impressive certainly is Mack was not sure how to describe what he felt but as they continued to lie in silence gazing into the celestial display watching and listening he knew in his heart that this too was holy as they both watched in awe struck Wonder shooting stars would occasionally blaze a brief Trail across the night blackness did you see that awesome after a particularly long silence Max spoke I feel more comfortable around you you seem so different than the other two how do you mean different well more real or tangible I don't know he struggled with the words and Jesus lay quiet waiting it's like I've always known you but Papa isn't at all what I expected from God and Sarah you she's way out there since I am human we have much in common to begin with still don't understand I am the best way any human can relate to Papa or sarayu to see me is to see them the love you sense from me is no different from how they love you and believe me Papa and Sarah you are just as real as I am though as you've seen in Far different ways speaking of Sarah you is she the Holy Spirit yes she is creativity she's action she is the breathing of life she's much more she is my spirit and her name Sarah you that is a simple name from one of our human languages it means wind a common wind actually she loves that name hmm nothing too common about her true that and the name Papa mentioned ello l elusia that is a wonderful name L is my name as Creator God but uzia is being or that which is truly real so the name means the Creator God who is truly real and the ground of all being nah that is also a beautiful name there was silence for a minute while Mac pondered what Jesus had said so then where does that leave us he felt like he was asking the question for the entire human race right where you were always intended to be in the very center of our love and our purpose again a pause then I'm suppose I can live with that I am glad to hear that Mack laughed along with him neither spoke for a Time Stillness had fallen like a blanket and all Mack was really aware of was the sound of water lapping up against the dock it was he who eventually broke the silence again Jesus yes Mackenzie I am surprised by one thing about you really what I guess I expected you to be more be careful here Mac um well humanly striking humanly striking you mean handsome well I was trying to avoid that but yes somehow I thought you'd be the ideal man you know athletic and overwhelmingly good looking it's my nose isn't it Mac didn't know what to say I am Jewish you know my grandfather on my mother's side had a big nose in fact most of the men on my mom's side had big noses and then I just thought you'd be better looking by whose standards anyway once you really get to know me it won't matter to you the words though delivered kindly stoned stung what exactly Mac lay there a few seconds and realize that as much as he thought he knew Jesus perhaps he didn't not really maybe what he knew was an icon an ideal an image through which he tried to grasp a sense of spirituality but not a real person why is that you said if I really knew you it wouldn't matter what you look like it is quite simple really being always transcends appearance that which only seems to be once you begin to know the being behind the very pretty or very ugly face as determined by your bias the surface appearances fade away until they simply no longer matter that is why elusia is such a wonderful name God who is the ground of all being dwells in around and through all things ultimately emerging as the real in any appearances that mask that reality will fall away silence followed as Mac wrestled with what Jesus had said he gave up after only a minute or two and decided to ask the riskier question you said I don't really know you it would be a lot easier we could always talk like this admittedly Mac this is special you were really stuck and we wanted to help you crawl out of your pain but don't think that just because I'm not visible our relationship has to be less real it will be different but perhaps even more real how is that my purpose from the beginning was to live in you and you in me wait wait wait a minute how can that happen if you're still fully human how can you be inside me astounding isn't it it's Papa's miracle it is the power of Sarah you my spirit the spirit of God who restores the union that was lost so long ago me I choose to live Moment by moment fully human I am fully God but I am human to the core like I said it's Papa's miracle Mack was lying in the darkness listening intently aren't you talking about a real indwelling not just some positional theological thing of course it's what everything is all about the human formed out of the physical material creation can once more be fully indwelt by spiritual life my life it requires that a very real Dynamic and active Union exists that is almost unbelievable I had no idea I need to think more about this but I might have a lot more questions and we have your lifetime to sort through them but enough of that for now Let's Get Lost again in The Starry Night in the silence that followed Mac simply lay still allowing the immensity of space and Scattered light to dwarf him letting his perceptions be captured by Starlight and the thought that everything was about him about the human race that all this was all for us after what seemed like a long time it was Jesus who broke into the quiet I'll never get tired of looking at this The Wonder of it all the wastefulness of creation as one of our brothers has called it so elegant so full of longing and Beauty even now Mack was suddenly struck Anew by the absurdity of his situation where he was the person next to him you know sometimes you sound so I mean well here I am lying next to God Almighty and you really sound so human but ugly and with that he began to giggle quietly and restrained at first but after a couple of snorts laughter simply started tumbling out it was infectious and Mack found himself swept along from somewhere deep inside him he had not laughed from down there in a long time Jesus reached over and hugged him shaking from his own spasms of Mirth and Mac felt more clean and Alive and Well than he had since well he couldn't remember since when eventually they both calmed again and the night's quiet asserted itself once more it seemed that even the frogs had called it quits Mack lay there realizing that he was now feeling guilty about enjoying himself about laughing and even in the darkness he could feel the great sadness roll in and over him Jesus I feel so lost a hand reached out and squeezed his and didn't let go I know Matt but it's not true I am with you and I'm not lost I'm sorry it feels that way but hear me clearly you are not lost I hope you're right Max tension lessened by the words of his Newfound friend come on Jesus stood up and reached down for Mac you have a big day ahead of you let's get you to bed he put his arm around Mac's shoulder and together they walked back toward the cabin Mack was suddenly exhausted today had been one long day maybe he would wake up at home in his own bed after a night of vivid dreaming but somewhere inside he hoped he was wrong [Music] to continue please insert the next CD [Music] thank you a breakfast of champions lord of the star Fields Ancient of Days Universe maker here's a song in your praise voice of the Nova smile of the Dew all of our yearning only comes home to you oh love that fires the sun keep me burning Bruce Coburn when he reached his room Mack discovered that his clothes which he had left back in the car were either folded on top of the dresser or hung in the open closet to his Amusement he also found a Gideon's Bible in the nightstand he opened the window wide to let the outside night flow freely in something that Nan never tolerated at home because of her fear of spiders and anything else crawly and creepy snuggling like a small child deep inside the heavy down comforter he had only made it through a couple verses before the Bible somehow left his hand the light somehow turned off someone kissed him on the cheek and he was lifting gently off the ground in a flying dream those who have never flown this way might think those who believe they do rather Daft but secretly they are probably at least a little envious he hadn't had a flying dream in years not since the great sadness had descended but tonight Mack flew High into the Starlet night the air clear and cool but not uncomfortable he soared above lakes and rivers Crossing an ocean coast and a number of reef rimmed islets as odd as it sounds Mac had learned inside his dreams to fly like this to lift off the ground supported by nothing no wings no aircraft of any sort just himself beginning flights were usually limited to a few inches due mostly to fear or more accurately a dread of falling stretching his flights to a foot or two and eventually higher increased his confidence as did his discovery that crashing wasn't painful at all but only a slow motion bounce in time he learned to ascend into the clouds cover vast distances and land gently as he soared at will over rugged mountains and Crystal white seashores reveling in the missed Wonder of dream flight suddenly something grabbed him by the angle and tore him out of the sky in a matter of seconds he was dragged from the Heights and violently thrown face first onto a muddy and deeply rutted Road Thunder shook the ground and Rain instantly drenched him to the Bone and there it came again lightning Illuminating the face of his daughter as she soundlessly screamed Daddy and then turned to run into the darkness her red dress visible only for a few brief flashes and then gone he fought with all his strength to extricate himself from the mud and the water only succeeding and being sucked deeper into its grasp and just as he was being taken under he woke with a gasp with his heart racing and his imagination anchored in the nightmares images it took a few moments for Mac to realize it had only been a dream but even as it faded from his Consciousness the emotions didn't go with it the dream had provoked the great sadness and before he could even get out of bed he was once again fighting his way through the despair that had devoured too many of his days with a Grimace he looked around the room and the dull gray of the growing Dawn that snuck in around the window shades this wasn't his bedroom nothing looked or felt familiar where was he think Mac think then he remembered he was still at the shack with those three interesting characters all of whom thought they were God this can't really be happening Mack pulled his feet out of the bed and sat on its edge with his head in his hands he thought back to the previous day and again entertained the fear that he was going crazy as he had never been much of a touchy-feely person Papa whoever she was made him nervous and he had no idea what to make of Sarah you admitted to himself that he liked Jesus a lot but he seemed the least Godlike of the three he let out a deep heavy sigh and if God was really here why hadn't he taken his nightmares away sitting in a quandary he decided wasn't helping so he found his way to the bathroom where to his Amusement everything he needed for a shower had been carefully laid out for him he took his time in the warmth of the water took his time shaving and back in the bedroom took his time dressing the penetrating and alluring Aroma of coffee drew his eye to the steaming cup waiting for him on the end table by the door taking a sip he opened the shades and stood looking out through his bedroom window onto the lake which he'd only glimpsed as a shadow the night before it was perfect smooth as glass except for the occasional trout leaping after its breakfast sending Circles of miniature waves radiating across the deep blue surface until they were slowly absorbed back into the larger surface he estimated The Far Side was about a half mile away Dew sparkled everywhere diamond-like tears of the early morning reflecting the sun's love the three canoes resting easily at intervals along the dock looked inviting but Mack Shrugged off the thought canoes were no longer a joy too many bad memories the doc reminded him of the night before had he really lean out there with the one who made the universe Max shook his head dumbfounded what was going on here who were they really and what did they want from him whatever it was he was sure he didn't have it to give the smell of eggs and bacon mixed with something else curled into his room interrupting his thoughts Mac decided it was time to emerge and speak for his share as he entered the main living area he heard the sound of a familiar Bruce Coburn tune drifting from the kitchen in a high-pitched black woman singing along rather well oh love that fires the sun keep me burning Papa emerged with plates in each hand full of Pancakes and fried potatoes and greens of some sort she was dressed in a long flowing african-looking garment complete with a vibrant multi-colored headband she looked radiant almost glowing you know I love that child's songs I'm especially fond of Bruce you know she looked over at Mac who was just sitting down at the table Mac nodded his appetite increasing by the second yep and I know you like him too Max smiled it was true Coburn had been a family favorite for Years first his then his and nans and then each of the children to one degree or another so honey how were your dreams last night dreams are sometimes important you know they can be a way of opening up the window and letting the bad air out Mac knew this was an invitation to unlock the door into his terrors but at the moment he wasn't ready to invite her into that hole with him and I slept fine thank you is he your favorite Bruce I mean she stopped and looked at him Mackenzie I have no favorites I'm just especially fond of him you seem to be especially fond of a lot of people Mack observed with a suspicious look are there any who you are not especially fond of she lifted her head and rolled her eyes as if she were mentally going through the catalog of every being ever created nope I haven't been able to find any guess that's just the way I is Mack was interested do you ever get mad at any of them sure enough what parent doesn't there is a lot to be mad about in the mess my kids have made and in the mess they're in I don't like a lot of choices they make but that anger especially for me is an expression of love all the same I love the ones I'm angry with just as much as those I'm not but what about your wrath it seems to me that if you're going to pretend to be God Almighty you need to be a lot angrier do I now that's what I think and what you're always running around killing people in the Bible you just don't seem to fit the bill I understand how disorienting all this must be for you mack but the only one pretending here is you I am what I am I'm not trying to fit anyone's bill but you're asking me to believe that you're God and I just don't see Mack had no idea how to finish his sentence so he just gave up I'm not asking you to believe anything but I will tell you that you're going to find this day a lot easier if you simply accept what is instead of trying to fit it into your preconceived notions but if you are God aren't you the one spilling out great bowls of Wrath and throwing people into a burning Lake of Fire Matt could feel his deep anger emerging again pushing out the questions in front of it and he was a little Chagrin that his own lack of self-control but he asked anyway honestly don't you enjoy punishing those who disappoint you at that Papa stopped her preparations and turned toward Mac he could see a deep sadness in her eyes I am not who you think I am Mackenzie I don't need to punish people for sin sin is its own punishment devouring you from the inside it's not my purpose to punish it it's my joy to cure it I don't understand you're right you don't she said it with a smile still sad around its edges but then again we're not done yet just then Jesus and Sarah you entered laughing through the back door involved in their own conversation Jesus came in dressed much like the day before just jeans and a light blue button-down shirt that made his dark brown eyes stand out sarayu on the other hand was clothed in something so fine and Lacy that it fairly flowed at the slightest Breeze or spoken word rainbow patterns shimmered and reshaped with her every gesture Mack wondered if she ever completely stopped moving he rather doubted it Papa leaned down to eye level with Mac you raise some important questions and we'll get around to them I promise but now let's enjoy breakfast together Mac nodded again a little embarrassed as he turned his attention to the food he was hungry anyway and there was plenty to eat thank you for breakfast what you aren't even going to Bow your head and close your eyes she began walking toward the kitchen what is the world coming to you're welcome honey she returned a moment later with still another bowl of steaming something that smelled wonderful and inviting they passed the food to one another and Mac was Spellbound watching and listening as Papa joined in the conversation Jesus and Sarah you were having it had something to do with reconciling an estranged family but it wasn't what they were talking about that captured Mac it was how they related he never had seen three people share with such Simplicity and beauty each seemed more aware of the others than of themselves so what do you think Mac 's mouth was half full of the very tasty greens I have no idea what you're talking about but I love the way that you do it Papa had returned from the kitchen with yet another dish whoa take it easy on those greens young man those things can give you the trots if you ain't careful oh all right I'll try to remember he reached for the dish in her hand I love the way you treat each other it's certainly not how I expected God to be how do you mean well I know that you are one and all and that there are three of you but you respond with such graciousness to each other isn't one of you more the boss than the other two the three looked at one another as if they had never thought of such a question I mean I've always thought of God the father as sort of being the boss and Jesus as the one following orders you know being obedient I'm not sure how the Holy Spirit fits in exactly he I mean she Mack tried not to look at Sarah Hugh as he stumbled for words whatever the spirit always seemed kind of a um a free spirit exactly a free spirit but still under the direction of the father does that make sense Jesus looked over at Papa obviously trying with some difficulty to maintain the perception of a very serious exterior does that make sense to you ABBA frankly I haven't a clue what this man is talking about Papa scrunched her face up as if exerting great concentration no I've been trying to make head or tail out of it but sorry he's got me lost you know what I'm talking about I'm talking about who's in charge don't you have a chain of command chain of command that sounds ghastly at least binding they both started laughing and then Papa turned to Mac and sang though chains be of gold they are chains all the same now don't concern yourself with those two they are just playing with you this is actually a subject of Interest Among Us Mac nodded relieved and a little Chagrin that he had again allowed himself to lose his composure Mackenzie we have no concept of final Authority Among Us only Unity we are in a circle of relationship not a chain of command or great chain of being as your ancestors termed it what you're seeing here is relationship without any overlay of power we don't need power over the other because we are always looking out for the best hierarchy would make no sense Among Us actually this is your problem not ours really but how so humans are so lost and damaged that to you it is almost incomprehensible that people could work or live together without someone being in charge but every Human Institution that I can think of from political to business even down to marriage is governed by this kind of thinking it is the web of our social fabric such a waste Papa picked up the empty dish and headed for the kitchen it's one reason why experiencing true relationship is so difficult for you once you have a hierarchy you need rules to protect and administer it and then you need law and the enforcement of the rules and you end up with some kind of chain of command or a system of order that destroys relationship rather than promotes it you rarely see or experience relationship apart from Power hierarchy imposes laws and rules and you end up missing The Wonder of relationship that we intended for you well we sure seem to have adapted pretty well to it don't confuse adaptation for intention or seduction for reality so then could you please pass me a bit more of those greens so then we've been seduced into this preoccupation with authority Papa passed back the platter of greens but not letting go until he pulled twice in a sense yes I'm just looking out for you son when you chose Independence over relationship you became a danger to each other others became objects to be manipulated or managed for your own happiness Authority as you usually think of it is merely the excuse the strong used to make others conform to what they want isn't it helpful in keeping people from fighting endlessly or getting hurt sometimes but in a selfish world it is also used to inflict great harm but don't you use it to restrain evil we carefully respect your choices so we work within your systems even while we seek to free you from them creation has been taken down a very different path than we desired in your world the value of the individual is constantly weighed against the survival of the system whether political economic social or religious any system actually first one person and then a few and finally even many are easily sacrificed for the good and ongoing existence of that system in one form or another this lies behind every struggle for power every Prejudice every war and every abuse of relationship the will to power and Independence has become so ubiquitous that it is now considered normal it's not Papa returned with more food it is the human Paradigm it is like water to fish so prevalent that it goes unseen and unquestioned it is the Matrix a diabolical scheme in which you are hopelessly trapped even while completely unaware of its existence as the crowning Glory of creation you were made in our image unencumbered by structure and free to Simply Be in relationship with me and one another if you had truly learned to regard each other's concerns as significant as your own there would be no need for hierarchy Mack sat back in his chair staggered by the implications of what he was hearing so are you telling me that whenever we humans protect ourselves with power you are yielding to The Matrix not to us and now we have come full circle back to one of my initial statements you humans are so lost and damaged that to you it is almost incomprehensible that relationship could exist apart from hierarchy so you think that God must relate inside a hierarchy like you do we do not but how could we ever change that people will just use us they most likely will but we're not asking you to do it with others Mac we're asking you to do it with us that's the only place it can begin we won't use you Mack Papa's intensity 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 will be for you to understand everything that has taken place is occurring exactly according 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 then 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 Papa answered tenderly seemingly not offended in the least by his accusation McKenzie there are millions of reasons to allow pain and hurt and suffering rather than to eradicate them but most of those reasons can only be understood within each person's story I am not evil you are the ones who Embrace fear and pain and power and right 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 you see broken humans Center their lives around things that seem good to them but that will neither fill them nor free them they are addicted to power or the illusion of security that power offers when a disaster happens those same people will turn against the false Powers they trusted in their disappointment they either become softened toward me or they become Bolder in their independence if you could only see how all of this ends and what we will achieve without the violation of one human will then you would understand one day you will but the cost look at the cost all the pain all the suffering everything that is so terrible and Evil he looked down at the table and look what it has cost you is it worth it yes came the unanimous joyful response of all three but how can you say that it all sounds like the end justifies the means that to get what you want you will go to any length even if it costs the lives of billions of people Kenzie you really don't understand yet you try to make sense of the world in which you live based on a very small and incomplete picture of reality it is like looking at a parade through the tiny knot hole of hurt pain self-centeredness and power and believing you are on your own and insignificant all of these contain powerful lies you see pain and death as ultimate evils and God is the ultimate betrayer or perhaps at best is fundamentally untrustworthy you dictate the terms and judge my actions and find me guilty the real underlying flaw in your life Mackenzie is that you don't think that I am good if you knew I was good and that everything the means the ends and all the processes of individual lives is all covered by my goodness then while you might not always understand what I'm doing you would trust me but you don't I don't it was not really a question it was a statement of fact and he knew it the others seemed to know it too and the table remained silent Mackenzie you cannot produce trust just like you cannot do humility it either is or is not trust is the fruit of a relationship in which you know you are loved because you do not know that I love you you cannot trust me again there was silence and finally Mack looked up at Papa and spoke I don't know how to change that you can not alone but together we will watch that change take place for now I just want you to be with me and discover that our relationship is not about performance or you having to please me I'm not a bully not some self-centered demanding little deity insisting on my own way I am good and I desire only what is best for you you cannot find that through guilt or condemnation or coercion only through a relationship of love and I do love you Sarah you stood up from the table and looked directly at Mac enzie if you care to I would like you to come and help me in the garden there are things I need to do there before tomorrow's celebration we can continue relevant elements of this conversation there please sure Mack excused himself from the table on one last comment I just can't imagine any final outcome that would justify all this Papa rose out of her chair and walked around the table to give him a big squeeze Mackenzie we're not justifying it we are redeeming it a long time ago in a garden far far away even should we find another Eden we would not be fit to enjoy it perfectly nor stay in it forever Henry van dijk Mac followed Sarah you as best he could out the back door and down the walkway past the row of furs to walk behind such a being was like tracking a Sunbeam light seemed to radiate through her and then reflect her presence in multiple places at once her nature was rather ethereal full of dynamic Shades and Hues of color and motion and no wonder so many people are a little unnerved at relating to her she obviously is not a being who's predictable Matt concentrated instead on staying to the walkway as he rounded the trees he saw for the first time a magnificent Garden an orchard somehow contained within a plot of land hardly larger than an acre for whatever reason Mack had expected a perfectly manicured and ordered English garden this was not that it was chaos in color his eyes tried unsuccessfully to find some order in this blatant disregard for certainty dazzling sprays of flowers were blasted through patches of randomly planted vegetables and herbs vegetation the likes of which schmack had never seen it was confusing stunning and incredibly beautiful from above it's a fractal saru said over his shoulder with an air of pleasure uh what Max mind was still trying to Grapple with and control the pandemonium of sight and the movements of Hues and shades every step he took changed whatever patterns he for an instant thought he had seen and nothing was like it had been a fractal something considered simple and orderly that is actually composed of repeated patterns no matter how magnified a fractal is almost infinitely complex I love fractals so I put them everywhere looks like a mess to me sorry you stopped and turned Mac her face glorious Mac thank you what a wonderful compliment she looked around at the Garden that is exactly what this is a mess but she looked back at Mac and beamed it's still a fractal too sorry you walked straight to a certain herb plant plucked some heads off it and turned to Mac here Papa wasn't kidding at breakfast you'd better chew on these greens for a few minutes it will counteract the natural movement of the ones you overindulged in earlier if you know what I mean Mac chuckled as he accepted and carefully began to chew yeah but those greens tasted so good his stomach had begun to roll a little and being kept off balance by The Verdant wildness he had stepped into was not helping the flavor of the herb was not distasteful a hint of mint and some other spices he had probably smelled before but couldn't identify as they walked the growling in his stomach slowly began to subside and he relaxed what he hadn't realized he'd been clenching without speaking a word he tried to follow sarayu from place to place within the garden but found himself easily distracted by the blends of colors current and Vermilion Reds tangerine and chartreuse divided by platinum and fuchsia as well as innumerable Shades of Greens and Browns it was all wonderfully bewildering and intoxicating sarayu seemed to be intently focused on a particular task but like her name she wafted about like a playful editing wind and he never quite knew which way she was blowing he found it rather difficult to keep up with her it reminded him of trying to follow Nan in a mall she moved through the garden snipping off various flowers and herbs and handing them to Mac to Carrie the makeshift bouquet grew quite large a pungent mass of perfume the mixtures of aromatic spices were unlike anything he had ever smelled and they were so strong he could almost taste them they deposited the final bouquet inside the door of a small garden shop that Mack had not noticed before buried as it was in a Thicket of wild growth including Vines and what Mac thought were weeds one task done and one to go she handed Mac a shovel rake Psy then a pair of gloves and floated out and down a particularly overgrown path that seemed to go in the general direction of the far end of the garden along the way she would occasionally slow to touch this plant or that flower all the while humming The Haunting tune that Mac had been captivated by the evening before he followed obediently carrying the tools he had been given and trying to keep her in sight while wandering at his surroundings when she stopped Mack almost ran into her distracted as he was looking around somehow she had changed now dressed in work clothes jeans with wild designs a work shirt and gloves they were in an area that could have been an orchard but not really regardless the place they stood was an open spot surrounded on three sides by Peach and cherry trees and in the middle was a Cascade of purple and yellow flowered bushes that almost took his breath away she pointed directly at the incredible purple and yellow patch Mackenzie I would like your help clearing this entire plot of ground there's something very special that I want to plant here tomorrow and we need to get it ready she looked at Mac and reached for the size you can't be serious this is so gorgeous and in such a secluded spot but sorry you didn't seem to notice without further explanation she turned and began destroying the artistic display of flowers she cut cleanly seemingly without any effort Max Shrugged donned his gloves and began raking into piles the Havoc she was wreaking he struggled to keep up it might not be a strain for her but for him it was Labor 20 minutes later the plants were all cut off at the roots and the plot looked like a wound in the garden Mac's forearms were etched with cut marks from the branches he had piled in one spot he was out of breath and sweating glad to be finished sarayu stood over the plot examining their handiwork isn't this exhilarating have been exhilarated in better ways oh Mackenzie if you only knew it's not the work but but purpose that makes it special and it's the only kind I do Mack leaned on his rake and looked around the garden and then at the red welts on his arms sorry you I know you are the Creator but did you make the poisonous plants the stinging nettles and mosquitoes too seemed to move in tandem with the breezes Mackenzie a created being can only take what already exists and from it fashion something different so are you saying that you created everything that actually exists including what you consider the bad stuff but when I created it it was only good because that is just the way I am she seemed to almost Billow into a curtsy before resuming her task but then why is so much of the good gone bad now Sarah you paused before answering you humans so little in your own eyes you are truly blind to your own place in the creation having chosen the ravaged path of Independence you don't even comprehend that you are dragging the entire creation along with you she shook her head and the Wind sighed Through the Trees nearby so very sad it won't be this way forever they enjoyed a few moments of silence as Mack looked back toward the various plans that he could see from where they were standing so are there plants in this Garden that are poisonous oh yes they are some of my favorites some are even dangerous to the touch like this one she reached for a nearby Bush and snapped off something that looked like a dead stick with only a few tiny leaves budding from the stem she handed it to Mac who raised both hands to avoid touching it and I am here Mac there are times when it is safe to touch and times when precautions must be taken that is the Wonder and adventure of exploration a piece of what you call science to discern and discover what we have hidden for you to find so why did you hide it why do children love to hide and seek ask any person who has a passion to explore and discover and create the choice to hide so many wonders from you is an act of Love That is a gift inside the process of life Mac gingerly reached out and took the poison twig you had not told me this was safe to touch would it have poisoned me of course but it if I direct you to touch that is different for any created being autonomy is lunacy Freedom involves trust and obedience inside a relationship of love so if you are not hearing my voice he would be wise to take the time to understand the nature of the plant so why create poisonous plants at all Mac handed Back The Twig your question presumes that poison is bad that such Creations have no purpose many of these so-called bad plants like this one containing credible properties for healing or unnecessary for some of the most magnificent wonders when combined with something else humans have a great capacity for declaring something good or evil without truly knowing obviously the short break which had been for Mac's sake was over and sarayu thrust a hand shovel at Mac picking up the rake to prepare this ground we must dig up the roots of all the wonderful growth that was here it is hard work but well worth it if the roots are not here then they cannot do what comes naturally and harm the seed we will plant okay Mac grunted as they both got down on their knees alongside the freshly cleared plot sarayu was somehow able to reach deep under the ground and find the ends of the roots bringing them effortlessly to the surface she left the shorter ones for Mac who use the hand shovel to dig under and pull them up they then shook the dirt from the roots and threw them into one of the piles that Mac had earlier raked together I'll burn those later you were talking earlier about humans declaring good and evil without knowledge Max shook another root of its dirt yes I was specifically talking about the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil exactly she seemed to almost expand and contract for emphasis while she worked and now Mackenzie you are beginning to see why eating the deadly fruit of that tree was so devastating to your race I've never given it much thought really Mac was intrigued by the direction their chat was taking so was there really an actual Garden I mean Eden and all that of course I told you I have a thing for gardens that's going to bother some people there are lots of people who think it was only a myth well their mistake isn't fatal rumors of Glory are often hidden inside of what many consider myths and tales oh I've got some friends who are not going to like this Mac wrestled with a particularly stubborn route no matter I myself am very fond of them I'm so surprised Max smiled in her Direction he drove his shovel into the dirt grabbing the root above it with his hand okay then so tell me about the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil well this is what we were talking about at breakfast let me Begin by asking you a question when something happens to you how do you determine whether it is good or evil Mac thought for a moment before answering well I haven't really thought about that I guess I would say that something is good when I like it when it makes me feel good or gives me a sense of security conversely I'd call something evil that causes me pain or costs me something I want so it is pretty subjective then yeah I guess it is and how confident are you in your ability to discern what indeed is good for you or what is evil to be honest I tend to sound justifiably angry when somebody is threatening my good you know what I think I deserve but I'm not really sure I have any logical ground for deciding what is actually good or evil except how something or someone affects me ah it all seems quite self-serving and self-centered I suppose and my track record isn't very encouraging either some things I initially thought were good turned out to be horribly destructive and some things that I thought were evil well they turned out he hesitated before finishing his thought but Sarah you interrupted then it is you who determines good and evil you become the judge and to make things more confusing that which you determined to be good will change over time and Circumstance and then beyond that and even worse there are billions of you each determining what is good and what is evil so when you're good and evil clashes with your neighbors fights and arguments ensue and even Wars break out the colors moving within sariyu were darkening as she spoke blacks and Grays merging and shadowing the rainbow Hues and if there is no reality of good that is absolute then you have lost any basis for judging it is just language and one might as well exchange the word good for the word evil I can see where that might be a problem a problem sorry you almost snapped as she stood up and faced him she was Disturbed but he knew that it was not directed at him indeed the choice to eat of that tree tore the universe apart divorcing the spiritual from the physical they died expelling in the breath of their choice the very Breath of God I would say that is a problem in the intensity of her speaking sorry you had risen slowly off the ground but now as she settled back her voice became quiet but distinct that was a great sorrow day neither of them spoke for almost 10 minutes while they worked as he continued digging up roots and throwing them into the pile Max mined busily worked to untangle the implications of what she had said finally he broke the silence I can see now that I spend most of my time and energy trying to acquire what I've determined to be good whether it's Financial Security or health or retirement or whatever and I spend a huge amount of energy and worry fearing what I've determined to be evil such truth in that remember this it allows you to play God in your Independence that's why a part of you prefers not to see me and you don't need me at all to create your list of good and evil but you do need me if you have any desire to stop such an insane lust for Independence so there is a way to fix it you must give up your right to decide what is good and evil on your own terms a heart pill to swallow choosing to only live in me to do that you must know me enough to trust me and learn to rest in my inherent goodness sorry you turn toward Mac at least that was his impression Mackenzie evil is a word we use to describe the absence of good just as we use the word Darkness to describe the absence of light or death to describe the absence of life both evil and darkness can only be understood in relation to light and good they do not have any actual existence I am light and I am good I am love and there is no darkness in me light and good actually exist so removing yourself from me will plunge You Into Darkness declaring independence will result in evil because apart from me you can only draw upon yourself that is death because you have separated yourself from me life Max sat back for a moment really helps but I can also see that giving up my independent right is not going to be an easy process it could mean that that in one instance the good may be the presence of cancer or the loss of income or even a life yeah but tell that to the person with cancer or the father whose daughter is dead Mac postured a little more sarcastically than he had intended oh Mackenzie don't you think we have them in mind as well each of them was the center of another story that is Untold Matt could feel his control getting away as he drove his shovel in hard but didn't Missy have a right to be protected no Mac a child is protected because she is loved not because she has a right to be protected that stopped him somehow what Sarah you had just been saying seemed to turn the whole world upside down and he was struggling to find some footing surely there were some rights that he could legitimately hold on to but what about rights are where survivors go so that they won't have to work out relationships but if I gave up then you would begin to know the Wonder and adventure of living in me Mac was getting frustrated but don't I have the right to to complete a sentence without being interrupted no you don't not in reality but as long as you think you do you will surely get ticked off when someone cuts you off even if it is God he was stunned and stood up staring at her not knowing whether to Rage or laugh Sarah you smiled at him Mackenzie Jesus didn't hold on to any rights he willingly became a servant and lives out of his relationship to Papa he gave up everything so that by his dependent life he opened a door that would allow you to live free enough to give up your rights at that moment Papa emerged down the walkway carrying two paper sacks she was smiling as she approached well you two having a good conversation I assume she winked at Mac the best and guess what he called our garden a mess isn't that perfect they both beamed broadly at Mac who still wasn't absolutely sure he wasn't being played with his anger was subsiding but he could still feel the burning in his cheeks the other two seem to take no notice sorry you reached up and kissed Papa on the cheek as always your timing is perfect everything that I needed Mackenzie to do here is finished Mackenzie you are such a delight thank you for all your hard work I didn't do that much really I mean look at this mess his gaze moved over the garden that surrounded them but it really is beautiful and full of you sorry you even though it seemed like lots of work still needs to be done I feel strangely at home and comfortable here the two looked at each other and grinned sarayu stepped toward him until she had invaded his personal space and will you shoot Mackenzie because this Garden is your soul this mess is you together you and I we have been working with a purpose in your heart and it is wild and beautiful and perfectly in process to you it seems like a mess but to me I see a perfect pattern emerging and growing and Alive a living fractal the impact of her words almost crumbled all of Max Reserve he looked again at their Garden his garden and it really was a mess but incredible and wonderful at the same time and beyond that Papa was here and Sarah you loved the mess it was almost too much to comprehend and once again his carefully guarded emotions threatened to spill over Mackenzie Jesus would like to take you for a walk if you want to go I packed you a picnic lunch in case you get a little hungry it'll tide you over till tea time as Mac turned to accept the lunch bags he felt sarayu slipped by kissing his cheek as she passed but he didn't see her go like the wind he thought he could see her path the plants bending in turn as if in worship when he turned back Papa was also gone so he headed toward the workshop to see if he could find Jesus it seemed they had an appointment Wade In The Water New World big Horizon open your eyes and see it's true New World across the frightening waves of blue David Wilcox Jesus finished sanding the last corner of what looked like a casket sitting on a table in the workshop he ran his fingers along the smooth edge knotted with satisfaction and put the Sandpaper down he walked out the door brushing the powder off his jeans and shirt as Mac approached hey there Mack I was just putting some finishing touches on my project for tomorrow would you like to go for a walk Mac thought about their time last night Under the Stars if you're going I'm more than willing why do you all keep talking about tomorrow it's a big day for you one of the reasons you are here let's go there's a special place I want to show you on the other side of the lake and the Panorama is beyond description you can even see some of the higher Peaks from over there sounds great looks like you have our lunches so we're ready to go instead of angling off to one side of the lake or the other where Max suspected a trail might be Jesus headed straight for the dock the day was bright and beautiful the sun was warm to the skin but not too much and a fresh scented Breeze softly and lovingly caressed their faces 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 Mac and grinned after you you're kidding right I mean 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 I'm not that great a swimmer and besides the water looks pretty damn cold he suddenly realized what he had said and felt his face flush I mean darn pretty darn cold he looked up at Jesus with a frozen Grimace on his face but the other man seemed to be actually enjoying Mac's discomfort now we both know that you are a very capable swimmer once a lifeguard if I remember right and the water is cold and it's deep but I'm not talking about swimming I want to walk across with you what Jesus had been suggesting Mac finally allowed into his Consciousness he was talking about walking across on the water Jesus anticipated his hesitation come on Mac if Peter can do it Mack laughed more out of nerves than anything to be sure he asked one more time you want me to walk on the water to the other side that is what you're saying right you're a quick one Mac nobody gonna slide anything past you that's for sure come on it's fun Mac walked to the edge of the dock and looked down the water lapped only about a foot below where he stood but it might as well have been a hundred feet the distance looked enormous to dive in would have been easy he'd done that a thousand times but how do you step off a dock onto water do you jump because if you're landing on concrete or do you step over the edge like you're getting out of a boat he looked back at Jesus who was still chuckling Peter had the same problem how to get out of the boat it's just like stepping off a one foot high stair nothing to it oh will my feet get wet of course water is still wet again Mac looked down at the water and back at Jesus then why is this so hard for me tell me what you're afraid of Mac well let me see and what am I afraid of well I'm afraid of looking like an idiot I'm afraid that you were making fun of me and that I will sink like a rock I imagine that exactly you imagine such a powerful ability the imagination that power alone makes you so like us but without wisdom imagination is a cruel Taskmaster if I may prove my case do you think humans were designed to live in the present or the past or the future well I think the most obvious answer is that we were designed to live in the present is that wrong relax Mac this is not a test it's a conversation you are exactly correct by the way but now tell me where do you spend most of your time in your mind in your imagination in the present in the past or in the future Mac thought for a moment before answering I suppose I would have to say that I spend very little time in the present for me I spend a big piece in the past but most of the rest of the time I'm trying to figure out the future not unlike most people when I dwell with you I do so in the present I live in the present not the past although much can be remembered and learned by looking back but only for a visit not an extended stay and for sure I do not dwell in the future you visualize or imagine Mac do you realize that your imagination of the future which is almost always dictated by fear of some kind rarely if ever pictures me there with you again Max stopped and thought it was true he spent a lot of time fretting and worrying about the future and in his imaginations it was usually pretty gloomy and depressing if not outright horrible and Jesus was also correct in saying that in Max imaginations of the future God was always absent why do I do that it is your desperate attempt to get some control over something you can't it is impossible for you to take power over the future because it isn't even real nor will it ever be real you try and play God Imagining the evil that you fear becoming reality and then you try and make plans and contingencies to avoid what you fear yeah that's basically what Sarah you was saying so why do I have so much fear in my life because you don't believe you don't know that we love you the person who lives by their fears will not find Freedom in my love I'm not talking about rational fears regarding legitimate dangers but imagined fears and especially the projection of those into the future to the degree that those fears have a place in your life you neither believe I am good nor know deep in your heart that I love you you sing about it you talk about it but you don't know it Mac looked down once more at the water and breathed the huge sigh of the Soul I have so far to go only about a foot looks to me Jesus placed his hand on Mac's shoulder it was all he needed and Max stepped off the dock in order to try and see the water is solid and not be deterred by its motion he looked up at the far Shore and held the lunch bags High just in case The Landing was softer than he had thought it would be his shoes were instantly wet but the water did not come up even to his ankles the lake was still moving all around him and he almost lost his balance because of it it was strange looking down it seemed that his feet were on something solid but invisible he turned to find Jesus standing next to him holding his own shoes and socks in one hand and smiling we always take off our shoes and socks before we do this Max shook his head laughing as he sat back on the edge of the dock I think I will anyway he took them off wrung out his socks and then rolled up his pant legs just to be sure they started off with Footwear and lunch bags in hand and walked toward the opposite Shore about a half mile distant the water felt cool and refreshing and sent chills up his spine walking on the water with Jesus seemed like the most natural way to cross a lake and Mack was grinning ear to ear just thinking about what he was doing he would occasionally look down to see if he could see any lake trout this is utterly ridiculous and impossible you know of course they rapidly reached the Far Shore and Mack could hear the sound of Rushing Water growing louder but he couldn't see its source 20 yards from the shore he stopped to their left and behind a high Rock Ridge he could see it a beautiful waterfall spilling over a Cliff's Edge and dropping at least a hundred feet into a pool at the canyon floor there it became a large Creek that probably joined the lake Beyond where Mac could see between them and the waterfall was an expanse of mountain Meadow filled with blooming wildflowers haphazardly strewn and seeded by the wind it was all stunning and Max stood for a moment breathing it in an image of Missy flashed in his mind but didn't settle a pebbled beach awaited their approach and behind it a backdrop of rich and dense forest rose up to the base of a mountain crested by the whiteness of freshly fallen snow slightly to their left at the end of a small clearing and just to the other side of a small Babbling Brook a trail disappeared quickly into the wooded Darkness Max stepped off of the water and onto the small rocks gingerly making his way toward a log that had fallen there he sat down and again wrung out his socks placing them in his shoes to dry in the near noon Sun only then did he look up and across the lake the beauty was staggering he could make out the shack where smoke leisurely Rose from the red brick chimney as it nestled against the greens of the orchard in forest but dwarfing it all was a massive range of mountains that hovered above and behind like Sentinel standing guard Max simply sat Jesus next to him and inhaled the visual Symphony you do great work thank you Mac and you've seen so little for now most of what exists in the universe will only be seen and enjoyed by me like special canvases in the back of an artist's studio but one day and can you imagine the scene of the Earth was not at War striving so hard just to survive and you mean what exactly our Earth is like a child who has grown up without parents having no one to guide and direct her as Jesus spoke his voice intensified in subdued anguish some have attempted to help her but most have simply tried to use her humans who have been given the task to lovingly steer the world instead plunder her with no consideration other than their immediate needs and they give little thought for their own children who will inherit their lack of love so they use her and abuse her with little consideration and then when she shudders or blows her breath they are offended and raise their fist at God you're an ecologist this blue-green ball in Black space filled with beauty even now battered and abused and lovely I know that song you must care deeply about the creation well this blue green ball in Black space belongs to me after the moment they opened their lunches together Papa had filled the sacks with sandwiches and treats and both ate hardly Mac munched on something that he liked but couldn't quite decide if it was animal or vegetable he thought it might be better not to ask so why don't you fix it Mac munched on his sandwich the earth I mean because we gave it to you can't you take it back of course we could but then the story would end before it was consummated Mac gave Jesus a blank look have you noticed that even though you call me Lord and King I have never really acted in that capacity with you I've never taken control of your choices or forced you to do anything even when what you were about to do was destructive or hurtful to yourself and others Mac looked back at the lake before responding I would have preferred that you did take control at times it would have saved me and people I care about a lot of pain to force my will on you is exactly what love does not do genuine relationships are marked by submission even when your choices are not helpful or healthy that's the beauty you see in my relationship with Abba and sarayu we are indeed submitted to one another and have always been so and always will be papa is as much submitted to me as I to him or Sarah you to me or Papa to her submission is not about Authority and it is not obedience it is all about relationships of love and respect in fact we are submitted to you in the same way how can that be why would the god of the universe want to be submitted to me because we want you to join us in our circle of relationship I don't want slaves to my will I want brothers and sisters who will share life with me and that's how you want us to love each other I suppose I mean between husbands and wives parents and children I guess in any relationship exactly when I am your life submission is the most natural expression of my character and nature and it will be the most natural expression of your new nature within relationships and all I wanted was a God who will fix everything so no one gets hurt but I'm not very good at relationship stuff and not like Nan Jesus finished the last bite of his sandwich and closing his lunch bag placed it down next to him on the log he wiped off a couple crumbs that still adhered to his mustache and short beard then grabbing a nearby stick he began to doodle in the sand as he continued that's because like most men you find what you think of as fulfillment in your achievements and then like most women find it in relationships it's more naturally her language Jesus paused to watch an osprey dive into the lake not 50 feet from them and slowly take flight again Talons gripping a large lake trout still struggling to escape does that mean I'm hopeless I really want what the three of you share but I have no idea how to get there there's a lot in your way right now Mac but you don't have to keep living with it I know that's true now that Missy's gone but it has never been easy for me you're not just dealing with Missy's murder there's a larger twisting that makes sharing life with us difficult the world is broken because in Eden you abandon relationship with us to assert your own independence most men have expressed it by turning to the work of their hands and the sweat of their brow to find their identity value and security by choosing to declare what's good and evil you seek to determine your own destiny it was this turning that has caused so much pain Jesus braced himself with a stick to stand and paused while Mack finished his last bite and stood to join him together they began walking along the Lakeshore but that isn't all the woman's desire and the word is actually her turning so the woman's turning was not to the works of her hands but to the man and his response was to rule over her to take power over her to become the ruler before the choosing she found her identity her security and her understanding of Good and Evil only in me as did man no wonder I feel like a failure with Nan I can't seem to be that for her you weren't made to be and in trying you'll only be playing God Mack reached down picked up a flat stone and skipped it across the lake is there any way out of this it is so simple but never easy for you by returning by turning back to me by giving up your ways of power and manipulation and just come back to me women in general will find it difficult to turn from a man and stop demanding that he meets their needs provides security and protects their identity and return to me men in general find it very hard to turn from The Works of their hands their own Quests for power and security and significance and return to me I've always wondered why men have been in charge males seem to be the cause of so much of the pain in the world the account for most of the crime and many of those are perpetrated against women and children Jesus picked up a stone and skipped it women turned from us to another relationship while men turn to themselves in the ground the world in many ways would be a much calmer and gentler place if women ruled there would have been far fewer children sacrificed to the gods of greed and Power then they would have fulfilled that role better Maybe but it still wouldn't have been enough power in the hands of independent humans be they men or women does corrupt Mac don't you see how filling rolls is the opposite of relationship we want male and female to be counterparts face to face equals each unique and different distinctive engender but complementary and each empowered uniquely by sarayu from whom all true power and authority originates remember I am not about performance and fitting into man-made structures I am about being as you grow in relationship with me what you do will simply reflect who you really are but you came in the form of a man doesn't that say something yes but not what many have assumed I came as a man to complete a wonderful picture in How We Made You from the first day we hid The Woman Within the man so that at the right time we could remove her from within him we didn't create man to live alone she was purposed from the beginning by taking her out of him he birthed her in a sense we created a circle of relationship like our own but for humans she out of him and now all the males including me birthed through her and all originating or birthed from God Max stopped mid-throw if the female had been created first there would have been no circle of relationship and thus no possibility of a fully equal face-to-face relationship between the male and female right exactly right Mac our desire was to create a being that had a fully equal and Powerful counterpart the male and the female but your independence with its quest for power and fulfillment actually destroys the relationship your heart longs for there it is again Max said sifting through the rocks to find the flattest Stone it always comes back to Power and how opposite that is from the relationship you have with the other two I'd love to experience that with you and with Nan that's why we're here I wish she were too oh what could have been Mack had no idea what he meant they were quiet for a few minutes except for some grunting as rocks were thrown and the sounds they made skipping across the water Jesus stopped just as he was about to throw a rock one last thing that I want you to remember about this conversation Mac before you go he tossed The Rock Mack looked up surprised before I go Jesus ignored his question Mac just like love submission is not something that you can do especially not on your own apart from my life inside of you you can't submit to Nan or your children or anyone else in your life including Papa you mean that I can't just ask what would Jesus do good intentions bad idea let me know how it works for you if that's the way you choose to go seriously my life was not meant to be an example to copy being my follower is not trying to be like Jesus it means for your Independence to be killed I came to give you life real life my life we will come and live our life inside of you so that you begin to see with our eyes and hear with our ears and touch with our hands and think like we do but we will never force that Union on you if you want to do your own thing have at it time is on our side this must be the dying daily that Sarah you was talking about speaking of time you have an engagement Jesus turned and pointed at the path that led into the forest at the end of the clearing follow that path and enter where it ends I'll wait for you here as much as he wanted to Mack knew that it would be no use to try and continue the conversation in thoughtful silence he put on his socks and shoes they were not totally dry by this time but not too uncomfortable standing up without another word he squished his way toward the end of the beach stopped for a minute to look once more at the waterfall jumped over the Little Brook and entered the woods down a well-maintained and marked path [Music] to continue please insert the next CD [Music] thank you Here Comes The Judge whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and knowledge is Shipwrecked by the laughter of the Gods Albert Einstein O my soul be prepared to meet him who knows how to ask questions T.S Eliot Mac followed the trail that wound past the waterfall away from the lake and threw a dense patch of cedar trees it took less than five minutes to reach an impasse the path took him directly to a rock face the faint outline of a door barely visible on the surface obviously he was meant to enter so he hesitantly reached out and pushed his hand simply penetrated the wall as if it wasn't there Mac continued to move cautiously forward until his entire body passed through what appeared to be the solid stone exterior of the mountain it was thick black within and he could see nothing taking a deep breath and with his hands outstretched in front of him he ventured a couple small steps into the inky darkness and stopped fear seized him as he tried to breathe unsure whether or not to continue as his stomach clenched he felt it again the great sadness settling on his shoulders with its full weight almost suffocating him he desperately wanted to back out into the light but in the end he believed that Jesus would not have sent him in here without a good purpose he pressed in farther slowly his eyes recovered from the shock of moving from daylight into such Deep Shadows and a minute later they adjusted enough to make out a single passageway curving off to his left as he followed it the brightness at the entrance behind him faded and was replaced by a faint Luminosity reflecting off the walls from somewhere ahead within a hundred feet the tunnel turned abruptly to his left and Mack found himself standing at the edge of what he assumed was a huge Cavern although initially it seemed to be only vast empty space the illusion was magnified by the only Light present a dim Radiance that encircled him but dissipated within 10 feet in every direction beyond that he could see nothing only Inky blackness the air in the place felt heavy and oppressive with an attending chill that fought to take his breath away he looked down and was relieved to see a faint reflection off a surface not the dirt and rock of the tunnel but a floor smooth and dark like polished mica bravely taking a step forward he noticed that the light circle moved with him Illuminating a little more of the area ahead feeling more confident he began to slowly and deliberately walk in the direction he'd been facing focusing on the floor for fear it might at any moment drop away beneath him he was so intent on watching his feet that Mack blundered into an object in front of him and almost fell it was a chair a comfortable looking wooden chair in the middle of nothing Matt quickly decided to sit and wait as he did the light that had assisted him continued to move forward as if he had kept walking directly in front of him he now could make out an ebony desk of considerable size completely bare and then he jumped when the light coalesced on one spot and he finally saw her behind the desk sat a tall beautiful Olive skinned woman with chiseled Hispanic features clothed in a Darkly colored flowing robe she sat as straight and Regal as a high court judge she was breathtakingly stunning she is beauty everything that sensuality strives to be but Falls painfully short in the dim light it was difficult to see where her face began as her hair and robe framed and merged into her Visage her eyes glinted and glistened as if they were portals into the vastness of The Starry Night Sky reflecting some unknown light source within her he dared not speak afraid that his voice would simply be swallowed up in the intensity of the room's focus on her he thought I'm Mickey Mouse about to speak to Pavarotti the thought made him smile as if somehow sharing a simple Delight in the grotesqueness of that image she smiled back and the place noticeably brightened that was all it took for Mack to understand that he was expected and welcome here she looked strangely familiar as if he might have known or glimpsed her somewhere in the past only he knew that he had never truly seen or met her before may I ask if I may I mean who are you Max voice sounded every bit to him like Mickey barely leaving an impression on the Stillness of the room but then lingering like the shadow of an echo she ignored his query do you understand why you are here like a breeze sweeping away the dust her voice gently ushered his question out of the room Matt could almost feel her words rain down on his head and melt into his spine sending delicious tingles everywhere he shivered and decided that he never wanted to speak again he only wanted her to talk to speak to him or to anyone just as long as he could be present but she waited you know his own voice was suddenly so rich and resonant that Mack was tempted to look behind him to see who had spoken somehow he knew that what he had said was the truth it simply sounded like it I have no idea he turned his gaze toward the floor no one told me well Mackenzie Allen Phillips he looked up quickly I am here to help you if a rainbow makes a sound or a flower as it grows that was the sound of her laughter it was a shower of light an invitation to talk and Mack chuckled along with her not even knowing or caring why soon again there was silence and her face though remaining soft took on a fiery intensity as if she was able to peer deep inside of him past the pretenses and facades down to the places that are rarely if ever spoken of today is a very serious day with very serious consequences Mackenzie you are here in part because of your children but you are also here for my children what do you mean I'm here because of my children Mackenzie you love your children in a way that your own father was never able to love you and your sisters of course I love my children every parent loves their children but why does that have anything to do with why I'm here in some sense every parent does love their children she ignored his second question but some parents are too broken to love them well and others are barely able to love them at all you should understand that but you you do love your children well very well I learned much of that from Nan we know but you did learn didn't you I suppose I did among the mysteries of a broken Humanity that too is rather remarkable to learn to allow change so then Mackenzie may I ask which of your children do you love the most Max smile inside as the kids that come along he had wrestled to an answer to this very question I don't love any one of them more than any of the others I love each of them differently he chose his words carefully explain that to me Mackenzie well each of my children is unique and that uniqueness and special personhood calls out a unique response from me Max settled back into his chair I remember after John my first was born I was so captivated by The Wonder of who this little life was that I actually worried about whether I would have anything left to love a second child but when Tyler came along it was as if he brought with him a special gift for me a whole new capacity to love him especially come to think of it it's like when papa says she is especially fond of someone when I think of each of my children individually I find that I'm especially fond of each one Hoyle said Mackenzie her appreciation was tangible but then she leaned forward slightly her tone still soft but serious but what about when they do not behave or they make choices other than those you would want them to make or they are just belligerent and rude what about when they embarrass you in front of others how does that affect your love for them it doesn't really he knew that what he was saying was true even if Katie didn't believe it sometimes I admit that it does affect me and sometimes I get embarrassed or angry but even when they act badly they are still my son or my daughter they're still Josh or Kate and they will be forever what they do might affect my pride but not my love for them she sat back beaming you are wise in the ways of real love Mackenzie so many believe that it is love that grows but it is the knowing that grows and love simply expands to contain it love is just the skin of knowing Mackenzie you love your children whom you know so well with a wonderful and real love a little embarrassed at her praise Mack looked down well thanks but I'm not that way with very many other people my love tends to be pretty conditional most of the time but it's a start isn't it Mackenzie and you didn't move beyond your father's inability on your own it was God and you together who changed you to love this way and now you love your children much the way father loves his Mac could feel his jaw involuntarily clench as he listened and he felt the anger once more beginning to rise what should have been a reassuring Commendation seemed more like a bitter pill that he now refused to swallow he tried to relax to cover his emotions but by the look in her eyes he knew it was too late hmm something I said bother you Mackenzie her gaze now made him uncomfortable he felt exposed Mackenzie is there something you would like to say the silence left by her question now hung in the Air Max struggled to retain his composure he could hear his mother's advice ringing in his ears if you don't have anything nice to say better to not speak at all um well no not really Mackenzie this is not a time for your mother's common sense this is a time for honesty for truth you don't believe that father loves his children very well do you you don't truly believe that God is good do you is Missy his child of course then no I don't believe that God loves all of his children very well he had said it and now his accusation echoed off whatever wall surrounded the chamber while Max stood there angry and ready to explode the woman remained calm and unchanging in her demeanor slowly she Rose from her high back chair moving silently behind it and motioning him toward it why don't you sit here is that what honesty gets you the hot seat he didn't move simply stared back at her she remained standing behind her chair Mackenzie earlier I began to tell you why you were here today not only are you here because of your children but you are here for judgment as the word echoed in the chamber Panic Rose inside Mac like a swelling tide and slowly he sank into his chair instantly he felt guilty his memories spilled through his mind like rats fleeing the rising flood he gripped the arms of his chair trying to find some balance and the onslaught of images and emotions his failures as a human being suddenly looned large and in the back of his mind he could almost hear a voice in toning his catalog of sins his dread deepening as the list grew longer and longer he had no defense he was lost and he knew it Mackenzie now I understand I'm dead aren't I that's why I can see Jesus and papa because I'm dead he sat back and looked up into the darkness feeling sick to his stomach can't believe it I didn't even feel anything he looked at the woman who patiently watched him how long have I been dead Mackenzie I am sorry to disappoint you but you have not yet fallen asleep in your world and I believe that you have missed again Mack cutter off I'm Not Dead you mean all this is real and I'm still alive but I thought you said I came here for judgment she had a look of amusement on her face I did but judgment and I'm not even dead a third time he stopped her processing what he heard anger replacing his Panic this hardly seems fair he knew his emotions were not helping does this happen to other people getting judged I mean before they're even dead what if I change what if I do better the rest of my life what if I Repent what then is there something you wish to repent of Mackenzie Mac slowly sat back down he looked at the smooth surface of the floor and then shook his head before answering I wouldn't know where to begin quite a mess aren't I yes you are Mack looked up and she smiled back you are a glorious destructive mess Mackenzie but you are not here to repent at least not in the way that you understand Mackenzie you are not here to be judged but I thought you said that I was here for judgment she remained cool and Placid as a Summer Breeze as she finished his question I did but you are not on trial here Mac took a deep breath relieved of her words you will be the judge the knot in his stomach returned as he realized what she had said finally he dropped his eyes to the chair that stood waiting for him what me I'd rather not I don't have any ability to judge oh that is not true you have already proven yourself very capable Even in our short time together and besides you have judged many throughout your life you have judged the actions and even the motivations of others as if you somehow knew what those were in truth you have judged the color of skin and body language and body odor you have judged history and relationships you have even judged the value of a person's life by the quality of your concept of beauty by all accounts you are quite well practiced in the activity Mack felt shame reddening his face he had to admit he had done an awful lot of judging in his time but he was no different than anyone else was he who doesn't jump to conclusions about others from the way they impact us there it was again his self-centered view of the world around him he looked up and saw her peering intently at him and quickly looked down again tell me if I may ask by what criteria do you base your judgments Mack looked up and tried to meet her gaze but found that when he looked directly at her his thinking wavered to peer into her eyes and keep a train of coherent and logical thoughts seem to be impossible he had to look away and into the darkness of the corner of the room hoping to collect himself nothing that seems to make much sense at the moment I confess that when I made those judgments I felt quite Justified but now of course you did she said it like a statement of fact like something routine not playing for even a moment upon his evident shame and distress judging requires that you think yourself Superior over the one you judge well today you will be given the opportunity to put all your ability to use come on she patted the back of the chair I want you to sit here now hesitantly but obediently he walked toward her and the waiting chair with each step he seemed to grow smaller or they both grew larger he couldn't tell which he crawled up on the chair and felt childish with a massive desktop in front of him and his feet barely touching the floor and just what will I be judging not what she paused and moved to the side of the desk who his discomfort was growing in Leaps and Bounds and sitting in an oversized Regal chair didn't help what right did he have to judge anyone sure in some measure he probably was guilty of judging almost everyone he had met and many that he had not Mack knew he was thoroughly guilty for being self-centered how dare he judge anyone else all his judgments had been superficial based on appearance and actions things easily interpreted by whatever state of mind or Prejudice that supported the need to exalt himself or to feel safe or to belong he also knew that he was starting to panic your imagination is not serving you well at this moment no kidding Sherlock is what he thought but all that came out of his mouth was a weak I really can't do this whether you can or cannot is yet to be determined and my name is not Sherlock Mack was grateful for the darkened room that he had his embarrassment the silence that followed seemed to hold him captive for much longer than the few seconds it actually took to find his voice and finally asked the question so who is it that I'm supposed to judge God and the human race she said as if it was of no particular consequence it simply rolled off her tongue as if this were a daily occurrence Mack was dumbfounded you have got to be kidding why not surely there are many people in your world you think deserve judgment there must be at least a few who are to blame for so much of the pain and suffering what about the greedy who feed off the poor of the world what about the ones who sacrificed their young children to War what about the men who beat their wives Mackenzie what about the fathers who beat their sons for no reason but to assuage their own suffering don't they deserve judgment Mackenzie Mac would sense the depths of his unresolved anger Rising like a flood of Fury he sank back into the chair trying to maintain his balance against an onslaught of images but he could feel his control ebbing away his stomach nodded as he clenched his fists his breathing coming short and quick and what about the man who prays on innocent little girls what about him Mackenzie is that man guilty should he be judged yes damn him to hell is he to blame for your loss yes and what about his father the man who twisted his son into a terror what about him yes him too how far do we go back Mackenzie this Legacy of Brokenness goes all the way back to Adam what about him oh but why stop there what about God God started this whole thing is God to blame Mack was reeling he didn't feel like a judge at all but rather the one on trial the woman was unrelenting isn't this where you are stuck Mackenzie isn't this what fuels the great sadness that God cannot be trusted surely a father like you can judge the father again his anger Rose like a towering flame he wanted to lash out but she was right and there was no point in denying it isn't that your just complaint Kenzie that God has failed you that he failed Missy that before the creation God knew that one day your Missy would be brutalized and still he created and then he allowed that Twisted soul to snatch her from your loving arms when he had the power to stop him isn't God to blame MacKenzie Mack was looking at the floor a flurry of images pulling his emotions in every direction finally he said it louder than he intended and pointed his finger right at her yes God is to blame the accusation hung in the room as the gavel fell in his heart then if you are able to judge God so easily then you certainly can judge the world you must choose two of your children to spend eternity in God's new heavens and new earth but only two and you must choose three of your children to spend eternity in hell Mac couldn't believe what he was hearing and started to panic Mackenzie I am only asking you to do something that you believe God does he knows every person ever conceived and he knows them so much deeper and clearer than you will ever know your own children he loves each one according to his knowledge of the being of that son or daughter you believe he will condemn most to an eternity of Torment away from his presence and apart from his love is that not true I I suppose I do I just never thought about it like this I just assumed that somehow God could do that talking about hell was always sort of an abstract conversation not about anyone that I truly Mack hesitated realizing that what he was about to say would sound ugly not about anyone that I truly cared about so you suppose then that God does this easily but you cannot come now Mackenzie which three of your five children will you sentenced to hell Katie is struggling with you the most right now she treats you badly and has said hurtful things to you perhaps she is the first and most logical Choice what about her you are the judge Mackenzie and you must choose I don't want to be the judge Max stood up his mind was racing this couldn't be real how could God ask him to choose among his own children there was no way he could sentence Katie or any of his other children to an eternity in hell just because she had sinned against him even if Katie or Josh or John or Tyler committed some heinous crime he still wouldn't do it he couldn't for him it wasn't about their performance it was about his love for them I can't do this you must I can't do this you must I will not do this Max blood was boiling hot inside him you must I can't I can't I won't now the words and emotions came tumbling out the woman just stood watching and waiting finally he looked at her pleading with his eyes could I go instead if you need someone to torture for eternity I'll go in their place would that work could I do that he fell at her feet crying and begging now please let me go for my children please I would be happy to please I'm begging you please please Mackenzie McKenzie her words came like a splash of cool water on a brutally hot day her hands gently touched his cheeks as she lifted him to his feet looking at her through blurring tears he could see that her smile was radiant now you sound like Jesus you have judged well Mackenzie I am so proud of you but I haven't judged anything oh but you have you have judged them worthy of Love even if it cost you everything that is how Jesus loves when he heard the words he thought of his new friend waiting by the lake and now you know Papa's heart who loves all his children perfectly immediately Missy's image flashed in his mind and he found himself bristling without thinking he lifted himself back onto the chair what just happened Mackenzie he saw no use trying to hide it I understand Jesus love but God is another story I don't find them to be alike at all you haven't enjoyed your time with Papa no I love Papa whoever she is she's amazing but she's not anything like the god I've known maybe your understanding of God is wrong maybe I just don't see how God loved Missy perfectly so the Judgment continues that made mac pause but only for a moment what am I supposed to think I just don't understand how God could love Missy and let her go through that horror she was innocent she didn't do anything to deserve that I know did God use her to punish me for what I did to my father that isn't fair she didn't deserve this man didn't deserve this I might have but they didn't is that who your God is Mackenzie it is no wonder you are drowning in your sorrow Papa isn't like that Mackenzie she's not punishing you or Missy or Nan this was not his doing but it didn't stop it no he didn't he doesn't stop a lot of things that cause him pain your world is severely broken you demanded your Independence and now you are angry with the one who loved you enough to give it to you nothing is as it should be as Papa desires it to be and as it will be one day now your world is lost in darkness and chaos and horrible things happen to those he is especially fond of the why doesn't he do something about it he already has you mean what Jesus did haven't you seen the wounds on Papa too I don't understand them how could he for love he chose the way of the Cross Where Mercy triumphs over Justice because of love would you instead prefer he'd chosen Justice for everyone do you want Justice dear judge she smiled as she said it no I don't not for me not for my children she waited but I still don't understand why Missy had to die she didn't have to Mackenzie this was no plan of Papa's Papa has never intended evil to accomplish his good purposes it is you humans who have embraced evil and Papa has responded with goodness what happened to Missy was the work of evil and no one in your world is immune from it but it hurts so much it must be a better way there is you just can't see it now return from your Independence McKenzie give up being his judge and know papa for who he is then you will be able to embrace his love in the midst of your pain instead of pushing him away with your self-centered perception of how you think the universe should be Papa has crawled inside of your world to be with you to be with Missy Max stood up from the chair I don't want to be a judge anymore I really do want to trust Papa unnoticed by Mac the room lightened yet again as he moved around the table toward the simple chair Where it All Began but I'll need help she reached out in hugged Mac now that sounds like the start of the trip home Mackenzie it certainly does quiet of a cavern was suddenly broken by the sound of children's laughter it seemed to be coming through one of the walls which Matt could now clearly see as the room continued to brighten as he stared in that direction the stone surface grew increasingly translucent and daylight filtered into the cave startled Mac peered through the haze and finally could make out the vague shapes of children playing in the distance those sound like my kids moving to the wall the Mist parted like someone had drawn a curtain and he was unexpectedly looking out across a meadow back toward the lake in front of him loomed the backdrop of high snow-covered mountains perfect in their Majesty dressed in heavily wooded forests and nestled at their feet he could clearly see the shack where he knew Papa and sariyu would be waiting for him a large stream tumbled out of nowhere directly in front of him and flowed into the lake alongside fields of High Country Flowers and grasses the sounds of birds were everywhere and the sweet scent of Summer hung rich in the air all this Max saw heard and smelled in an instant but then his gaze was drawn to movement to the group playing along an Eddy near where the stream flowed into the lake less than 50 yards away he saw his children there John Tyler Josh and Kate but wait there was another he gasped trying to focus more intently moving toward them he pushed up against an unseen Force as if the stone wall were still invisibly in front of him then it became clear Missy there she was kicking her bare feet in the water as if she heard him Missy broke from the group and came running down the trail that ended directly in front of him oh my God Missy he tried to move forward through the veil that held him separate to his consternation he ran into a power that would not allow him to get closer as if some magnetic force increased in direct opposition to his effort deflecting him back into the room she cannot hear you mack didn't care missy she was so close the memory that he'd been trying so hard not to lose but it felt slowly slipping away now snapped back he looked for some kind of handhold as if he could pry whatever it was open and find some way to get through to his daughter but there was nothing meanwhile Missy had arrived and stood directly in front of him her gaze was clearly not at them but it's something that was in between larger and obviously visible to her but not to him Mac finally quit fighting the force field and half turned to the woman can she see me does she know that I'm here she knows that you are here but she cannot see you from her side she is looking at the beautiful waterfall and nothing more but she knows you are behind it waterfalls she just can't get enough of waterfalls now Mac focused on her trying to memorize again every detail of her expression and hair and hands as he did so Missy's face erupted in a huge smile dimples standing up in slow motion with great exaggeration he could see her mouth the words it's okay I and now she signed the words love you it was too much and Mack wept for joy still he couldn't stop looking at her watching her through his own cascading waterfall to be this close again was painful to see her stand in that messy way with one leg forward and a hand on her hip wrist inward she's really okay isn't she more than you know this life is only the answer room of a greater reality to come no one reaches their potential in your world it's only preparation for what Papa had in mind all along can I get to her maybe just one hug and a kiss no this is the way that she wanted it she wanted it this way yes she is a very wise child our Missy I am especially fond of her are you sure she knows I am here yes I am sure she's been very excited for this day to play with her brothers and sister and to be near you she very much would have liked her mother to be here too but that will wait for another time Mac turned toward the woman are my other children really here they are here but they aren't only Missy is truly here the others are dreaming and each will have a vague memory of this some in Greater detail than others but none fully or completely this is a very peaceful time of sleep for each of them except Kate this dream will not be easy for her Missy though is fully awake Mack watched every move his precious Missy was making has she forgiven me forgiven you for what I failed her it would be her nature to forgive if there were anything to forgive which there is not but I didn't stop him from taking her he took her while I wasn't paying attention if you remember you were saving your son only you in the entire universe believe that somehow you are to blame Missy doesn't believe that nor Nan nor Papa perhaps it's time to let that go that lie and Mackenzie if you had been to blame her love is much stronger than your fault could ever be just then someone called Missy's name and Mac recognized The Voice she shrieked with delight and started to run back toward the others abruptly she stopped and ran back to her daddy she made a big Embrace as if she were hugging him and with eyes closed over exaggerated a kiss from behind the barrier he hugged her back for a moment she stood completely still as if knowing she was giving him a gift for his memory waved turned and raced back to the others and now Matt could clearly see the voice that it called is Missy it was Jesus playing in the middle of his children without hesitation Missy leaped into his arms he swung her around twice before putting her back on her feet and then everyone laughed before hunting for smooth stones to skip across the surface of the lake the voice of their Joy was a symphony to Max ears and as he watched his tears flowed freely suddenly without warning water roared down from above directly in front of him and obliterated all the sights and sounds of his children instinctively he jumped back he now realized that the walls of the cave had dissolved around him and he was standing in a grotto on the back side of the waterfall Mack felt the woman's hands on his shoulders is it over for now Mackenzie judgment is not about destruction but about setting things right Max smiled I don't feel stuck anymore she steered him gently toward the side of the waterfall until he could once again see Jesus on the shore still skipping stones I think someone is waiting for you her hands softly squeezed and then left his shoulders and Mac knew without looking that she was gone after carefully climbing over slippery Boulders and across wet rocks he found a way around the edge of the falls then through the refreshing mist of tumbling water and back into daylight exhausted but deeply fulfilled Mac paused and closed his eyes for a moment trying to etch the details of Missy's presence indelibly into his mind hoping that in the days to come he would be able to bring back every moment with her every nuance and movement and suddenly he missed Nan so very very much in the belly of the beasts men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from a religious conviction Blaise Pascal once abolished the God and the government becomes the god G.K Chesterton as Mack made his way down the trail toward the lake he suddenly realized that something was missing his constant companion the great sadness was gone it was as if it had been washed away in The Mists of the waterfall as he emerged from behind its curtain its absence felt odd perhaps even uncomfortable for the past years it had defined for him what was normal but now unexpectedly it had vanished normal is a myth he thought to himself the great sadness would not be part of his identity any longer he knew now that Missy wouldn't care if he refused to put it on in fact she wouldn't want him to huddle in that shroud and would likely grieve for him if he did he wondered who he would be now that he was letting all that go to walk into each day without the guilt and despair that had sucked the colors of life out of everything as he entered the clearing he saw Jesus still waiting still skipping stones hey I think my best was 13 skips he laughed and walked to meet Mac but Tyler beat me by three and Josh threw one that skipped so fast we all lost count as they hugged Jesus added you have special kids Mac you and I have loved them very well Kate is struggling as you know but we're not done there the very ease and intimacy with which Jesus talked about his children touched him deeply then they're gone Jesus pulled back and nodded yes back to their dreams except Missy of course his sheep she was overjoyed to have been this close to you and she's thrilled knowing you are better Max struggled to maintain his composure Jesus understood and changed the subject so how was your time with Sophia Sophia ah so that's who she is then a perplexed look came across Mac's face but doesn't that make four of you is she God two no Mac there are only three of us Sophia is a personification of Papa's wisdom oh like in Proverbs where wisdom is pictured as a woman calling out in the streets trying to find anyone who listened to her that's her Mac paused as he Bend to untie the laces of his shoes but she seemed so real oh she's quite real he looked around as if to see if anyone was watching and whispered she's part of the mystery surrounding of sarayu I love Sarah you Max stood somewhat surprised at his own transparency me too they walk back to the shore and silently stood looking across at the shack Mack finally answered the question Jesus had asked earlier it was terrible and it was wonderful my time with Sophia he suddenly realized that the sun was still high in the sky exactly how long have I been gone it's been less than 15 minutes so not long at Max look of bewilderment he added time with Sophia is not like normal time huh I thought of anything with her as normal actually Jesus paused to throw one last skipping Stone with her everything is normal and elegantly simple because you are so lost and independent you bring to her many complications and as a result you find even her Simplicity profound so I'm complex and she's simple my world is upside down Mac had already sat down on a log and was taking off his shoes and socks for the walk back can you tell me this here it is the middle of the day and my children were here in their dreams how does that work is any of this real or am I just dreaming too as far as how all this works don't ask Mac it's a little heady something to do with time dimensional coupling more of Sorrow you's stuff time as you know it presents No Boundaries to the one who created it you can ask her if you like no I think I'll wait on that one I was just curious but as for is any of this real far more real than you can imagine Jesus paused for a moment to get Max full attention a better question might be what is real I'm beginning to think that I have no idea would all this be any less real if it were inside a dream I think I'd be disappointed why Mac there's far more going on here than you have the ability to perceive let me assure you all of this is very much real far more real than life as you've known it Mack hesitated but then decided to take the risk and ask there is one thing still bothering me about Missy Jesus walked over and sat next to him on the log Mac leaned over and put his elbows on his knees staring past his hands and down at the Pebbles near his feet I keep thinking about her alone in that truck so terrified Jesus reached over and put his hand on Mac's shoulder and squeezed Mac she was never alone I never left her we never left her not for one instant I could no more abandon her or you then I could abandon myself she knew you were there yes Mac she did not at first the fear was overwhelming and she was in shock it took hours to get up here from the campsite but as sarayu wrapped herself around her Missy settled down the long ride actually gave us a chance to talk Mac was trying to take all of this in he could no longer speak she may have been only six years old but Missy and I are friends we talk she had no idea what was going to happen she was actually more worried about you and the other kids knowing that you couldn't find her she prayed for you for your peace Mack wept fresh tears rolling down his cheeks this time he didn't mind Jesus gently pulled him into his arms and held him Mack I don't think you want to know all the details I'm sure they won't help you but I can tell you there was not a moment that we were not with her she knew my peace and you would have been proud of her she was so brave the tears flowed freely now but even Mac noticed this time it was different he was no longer alone without embarrassment he wept under the shoulder of this man he had grown to love with each Saab he felt the tension drain away replaced by a deep sense of relief finally he took a deep breath and blew it out as he lifted his head then without another word he stood up slung his shoes over one shoulder and simply walked into the water although he was a little surprised when his first step found the lake bottom up to his ankles he didn't care he stopped rolled up his pant legs above the knees just to be sure and took another step into the shocking cold water this one took him up to mid calf and the next up to just below his knees his feet still on the lake bottom he looked back to see Jesus standing on the shore with arms folded across his chest watching him Mac turned and looked toward the opposite Shore he wasn't sure why it wasn't working this time but he was determined to press on Jesus was there so he had nothing to worry about the prospect of a long and cold swim was not too thrilling but Mack was sure he could make it a cross if he had to thankfully when he took his next step instead of going deeper he rose up a little and with each succeeding stride he came up even more until he was on the top of the water once again Jesus joined him and they both continued walking toward the shack this always works better when we do it together don't you think Mack returned his smile still more to learn I guess it didn't matter to him he realized whether he had to swim the distance or walk on water as wonderful as the latter was What mattered was that Jesus was with him perhaps he was beginning to trust him after all even if it were only baby steps thank you for being with me for talking to me about Missy I haven't really talked about that with anyone it just felt so huge and terrifying it doesn't seem to hold the same power now the darkness hides the true size of fears and lies and regrets the truth is they are more Shadow than reality so they seem bigger in the dark when the light shines into the places they live inside you you start to see them for what they are why do we keep all that crap inside because we believe it's safer there and sometimes when you're a kid trying to survive it really is safer there and you grow up on the outside but on the inside you're still that kid in the dark cave surrounded by monsters and out of habit you keep adding to your collection we all collect things we value you know this made Max smile he knew Jesus was referring to something sorry you had said about collecting tears so how does that change you know for somebody who's lost in the dark like me most often pretty slowly remember you can't do it alone some folks try with all kinds of coping mechanisms and mental games but the monsters are still there just waiting for the chance to come out so what do I do now what you're doing already Mac learning to live loved it's not an easy concept for humans you have a hard time sharing anything so yes what we desire is for you to return to us and then we come and make our home inside you and then we share the Friendship is real not merely imagined we're meant to experience this life your life together in a dialogue sharing the journey you get to share in our wisdom and learn to love with our love and we get to hear you Grumble and gripe and complain and Mack laughed out loud and pushed Jesus sideways stop Jesus yelled and froze where he stood at first Mack thought he might have offended him but Jesus was looking intently into the water did you see him look here he comes again what Max stepped closer and shielded his eyes to try and see what it was that Jesus was looking at look he's our Beauty must be almost two feet long and then Max saw him a huge lake trout gliding by only a foot or two beneath the surface seemingly oblivious to the commotion he was causing above him I've been trying to catch him for weeks and here he comes just debate me Mac watched amazed as Jesus started to dodge this way and that trying to keep up with the fish and finally gave up he looked at Mac excited as a little kid isn't he great I'll probably never catch him Mac was bewildered by the whole scene Jesus why don't you just command him to I don't know jump in your boat or bite your hook aren't you the Lord of creation sure Jesus said leaning down and running his hand over the water but what would be the fun in that huh Mack didn't know whether to laugh or cry he realized how much he had come to love this man this man who was also God Jesus stood back up and together they continued their Meandering toward the dock ventured another question can I ask why didn't you tell me about Missy earlier like last night or a year ago or don't think we didn't try have you noticed that in your pain you assume the worst of me I've been talking to you for a long time but today was the first time you could hear it and all those other times weren't a waste either like little cracks in the wall one at a time but woven together they prepared you for today you have to take the time to prepare the soil if you wanted to embrace the seed I'm not sure why we resisted resist you so much seems kind of stupid now it's all part of the timing of Grace Mack if the universe contained only one human being timing would be rather simple but add just one more and well you know the story each choice ripples out through time and relationships bouncing off of other choices and out of what seems to be a huge mess Papa weaves a magnificent tapestry only Papa can work all this out and she does it with Grace so I guess all I can do is follow her yep that's the point now you're beginning to understand what it means to be truly human they reach the end of the dock and Jesus leaped up onto it turning to help Mack together they sat down at its end and bangled their bare feet in the water watching the mesmerizing effects of the Wind on the surface of the lake Mack was the first to break the silence was I seeing heaven when I was seeing Missy it looked a lot like here well Mac our final Destiny is not the picture of Heaven that you have stuck in your head you know the image of pearly gates and streets of gold instead it's a new cleansing of this universe so it will indeed look a lot like here then what's with the Pearly Gates and gold stuff that stuff my brother Jesus began lying back on the dock and closing his eyes against the warmth and brightness of the day is a picture of me and the woman I'm in love with Mack looked at him to see if he was joking but it was obvious he wasn't it is a picture of my bride the church individuals who together form a spiritual city with a living river flowing through the middle and on both Shores trees growing with fruit that will heal the hurt and Sorrows of the Nations and this city is always open and each gate into it is made of a single Pearl he opened one eye and looked at Mac that would be me pearls Mac the only precious stone made by pain suffering and finally death I get it you are the way in but you're talking about the church as this woman you're in love with I'm pretty sure I haven't met her he turned away slightly she's not the place I go on Sundays Mack was unsure if that was safe to say out loud Mac that's because you're only seeing the institution a man-made system that's not what I came to build what I see are people and their lives a living breathing community of all those who love me not buildings and programs Mack was a bit taken back to hear Jesus talking about church this way but then again it didn't really surprise him it was a relief so how do I become part of that church this woman you seem to be so Gaga over it's simple mac it's all about relationships and simply sharing life what we are doing right now just doing this and being open and available to others around us my church is all about people and life is all about relationships you can't build it it's my job and I'm actually pretty good at it Jesus said with a chuckle for Mac these words were like a breath of fresh air simple not a bunch of exhausting work and long List of Demands and not the sitting and endless meeting staring at the backs of people's heads people who really didn't even know just sharing life but wait Mac had a jumble of questions starting to surface maybe he had misunderstood this seemed too simple again he caught himself perhaps it was because humans are so utterly lost and independent that we take what is simple and make it complex so he thought twice about messing with what he was beginning to understand to begin asking his jumbled massive questions at this moment felt like throwing a dirt clod into a little pool of clear water never mind Mac you don't need to have it all figured out just be with me after a moment he decided to join Jesus and he lay on his back next to him shielding his eyes from the Sun in order to watch the clouds sweeping away the early afternoon well to be honest I'm not too disappointed that the street of gold thing isn't the big prize it always sounded a little boring to me not nearly as wonderful as being out here with you near quiet descended as Mac took in the moment he could hear the hush of wind caressing trees and the laughter of the nearby Creek as it spilled its way into the lake the day was Majestic that take your breath away surroundings incredible I really do want to understand I mean I find the way you are so different from all the well-intentioned religious stuff I'm familiar with as well intentioned as it might be you know that religious Machinery can chew up people an awful lot of what is done in my name has nothing to do with me and is often even if unintentional very contrary to my purposes you're not too fond of religion and institutions Mack was not sure if he was asking a question or making an observation I don't create institutions never have never will what about the institution of marriage marriage is not an institution it's a relationship like I said I don't create institutions that's an occupation for those who want to play God so no I'm not too big on religion and not very fond of politics or economics either Jesus visits darkened noticeably and why should I be they are the Man created Trinity of Terrors that ravages the Earth and deceives those I care about what mental turmoil and anxiety does any human face that is not related to one of those three Mac hesitated he wasn't sure what to say this all felt a little over his head noticing that Mac's eyes were glazing over Jesus downshifted put simply these Terrors are tools that many use to prop up their illusions of security and control people are afraid of uncertainty afraid of the future these institutions these structures and ideologies are all a vain effort to create some sense of certainty and security where there isn't any it's all false systems cannot provide you security only I can whoa it was all Matt could think the landscape of how he and just about everyone he knew had sought to manage and navigate their lives was being reduced to little more than Rubble so Mack was still processing and not really coming up with much so I don't have an agenda here in Mac just the opposite I came to give you life to the fullest my life Mack was still straining to understand the Simplicity and purity of enjoying a growing friendship ah got it if you try to live this without me without the ongoing dialogue of us sharing this journey together it will be like trying to walk on the Water by yourself you can't and when you try however well-intentioned you're going to sink knowing full well the answer Jesus continued have you ever tried to save someone who was drowning Max chest and muscles instinctively tightened he didn't like remembering Josh in the canoe and the sense of panic that suddenly rushed back from the memory it's extremely hard to rescue someone unless they are willing to trust you yes it sure is that's all I ask of you when you start to sing Let Me rescue you it seemed like a simple request but Mack was used to being the Lifeguard not the one drowning Jesus I'm not sure I know how to let me show you just keep giving me the little bit you have and together we'll watch it grow Mac began to put on his socks and shoes sitting here with you in this moment it doesn't seem that hard but when I think about my regular life back home I don't know how to keep it as simple as you're suggesting I'm stuck in that same grasp for control everyone else is politics economics social systems bills family commitments it can all be a bit overwhelming I don't know how to change it all no one is asking you to that is saruyu's Task and she knows how to do it without brutalizing anyone this whole thing is a process not an event all I want from you is to trust me with what little you can and grow in loving people around you with the same love I share with you it's not your job to change them or to convince them you are free to love without an agenda it's what I want to learn and you are Jesus stood up and stretched and Mack followed I have been told so many lies Jesus looked at him and then with one arm pulled back in and hugged him I know Mac so have I I just didn't believe them together they began to walk down the dock as they approached the shore they slowed again Jesus put his hand on Mac's shoulder and gently turned him until they were face to face Mac the world system is what it is institutions systems ideologies and all the vain feudal efforts of humanity that go with them are everywhere and interaction with all of it is unavoidable but I can give you freedom to overcome any system of power in which you find yourself be it religious economic social or political you will grow in the freedom to be inside or outside all kinds of systems and to move freely between and among them together you and I can be in it and not of it but so many of the people I care about seem to be both in it and of it Mack was thinking of his friends church people who had expressed love to him and his family he knew they loved Jesus but were also sold out to religious activity and patriotism Mack I love them and you wrongly judge many of them for those who were both in it and of it we must find ways to love and serve them don't you think remember the people who know me are the ones who are free to live and love without any agenda is that what it means to be a Christian it sounded kind of stupid as Max said it but it was how he was trying to sum everything up in his mind who said anything about being a Christian I'm not a Christian the idea struck Mac as odd and unexpected and he couldn't keep himself from grinning no I suppose you aren't they arrived at the door of the workshop again Jesus stopped those who love me come from every system that exists they were Buddhists or Mormons Baptists or Muslims Democrats Republicans and many who don't vote or are not part of Any Sunday morning or religious institutions I have followers who are murderers and many who were self-righteous some are bankers and bookies Americans and Iraqis Jews and Palestinians I have no desire to make them Christian but I do want to join them in their transformation into Sons and Daughters of my papa into my brothers and sisters into my beloved does that mean that all roads will lead to you Jesus smiled as he reached for the door handle to the shop not at all most roads don't lead anywhere what it does mean is that I will travel any road to find you Mack I've got some things to finish up in the shop so I'll catch up with you later okay what do you want me to do whatever you want Mac the afternoon is yours Jesus patted him on the shoulder and grinned one last thing remember earlier when you thanked me for letting you see Missy that was all Papa's idea with that he turned and waved over his shoulder as he walked into the workshop Mac knew instantly what he wanted to do and headed for the shack to see if he could find Papa [Music] to continue please insert the next CD [Music] thank you a meeting of hearts falsehood has an Infinity of combinations but truth has only one mode of being Jean-Jacques Rousseau has Mac neared the cabin he could smell scones or muffins or something wonderful it might have been only an hour since lunch due to saruyu's time dimensional thingy but he felt like he hadn't eaten in hours even if he had been blind he would have had no trouble finding his way to the kitchen but when he came in the back door he was surprised and disappointed to discover the place empty anyone here I'm on the porch Mac her voice came through the open window grab yourself something to drink and come join me Mack poured himself some coffee and walked out on the front porch Papa was reclining on an old Adirondack chair eyes closed soaking in the Sun what's this God has time to catch a few Rays don't you have anything better to do this afternoon Mac you have no idea what I'm doing right now there was another chair on the opposite side so he stepped over to it and as he sat down she opened one eye between them on a small end table sat a tray full of a rich looking pastry with fresh butter and an array of jams and jellies wow this smells great dive in it's a recipe I borrowed from your own great great grandma made it from scratch too Mac wasn't sure what made it from scratch might mean when God was saying it and decided to leave well enough alone he picked up one of the scones and bit into it without anything on it it was still warm from the oven and fairly melted in his mouth wow that is good thank you well you have to thank your great great grandma when you see her I'm rather hoping that won't be too soon wouldn't you like to know Papa winked playfully and then closed her eyes again as Mac ate another scone he groped for the courage to speak his heart Papa for the first time calling God Papa did not seem awkward to him yes Mack her eyes opened and she smiled with delight I've been pretty hard on you hmm Sophia must have gotten to you did she ever I had no idea I'd presumed to be your judge sounds so horribly arrogant that's because it was I am so sorry I really had no idea Max shook his head sadly but that is in the past now where it belongs I don't even want your sorrow for it Mac I just want us to grow on together without it I want that too Mac reached for another school aren't you going to eat any of these nah you go ahead you know how it is start cooking and tasting this and that and before you know it you used up your whole appetite you enjoy she nudged the tray toward him he took another and sat back to savor it Jesus said it was your idea to give me some time with Missy this afternoon I can't begin to find words to thank you for that ah you're welcome honey give me great joy too I was so looking forward to putting you two together I can hardly stand it I wish Nan could have been here for that that would have made it perfect Max sat in silence unsure what she meant or how to respond isn't Missy special my my I've especially fond of that one me too Mack beamed and thought of his princess behind the waterfall princess waterfall wait a minute Papa watched as the Tumblers fell into place obviously you know about my daughter's fascination with waterfalls and especially the legend of the Multnomah princess Papa nodded is that what this is about did she have to die so you could change me Papa Lean Forward whoa there Mack that's not how I do things she loved that story so much of course she did that's how she came to appreciate what Jesus did for her and the whole human race stories about a person willing to exchange their life for another or a golden thread in your world revealing both your need and my heart but if she hadn't died I wouldn't be here now Matt just because I work incredible good out of unspeakable tragedies doesn't mean I orchestrate the tragedies don't ever assume that my using something means I caused it or that I needed to accomplish my purposes that will only lead you to false Notions about me Grace doesn't depend on suffering to exist but where there is suffering you will find Grace in many facets and colors actually that's a relief I couldn't bear to think that my pain might have cut short her life she was not your sacrifice Matt she is and we'll always be your joy that's enough purpose for her Max settled back in his chair surveying the view from the porch I feel so full well you've eaten most of the scones that's not what I meant and you know it the world just looks a thousand times brighter and I feel a thousand times lighter you are a man it's not easy being the judge of the entire world Papa's smile reassured Mac that this new ground was safe or judging you that was quite a mess more soft than I thought I've totally misunderstood who you are in my life not totally Matt we've had some wonderful moments too so let's not make more of it than it is but I always like Jesus better than you he seems so gracious and you seemed so mean sad isn't it he came to show people who I am and most folks only believe it about him they still play us off like good cop bad cop most of the time especially the religious Folk when they want people to do what they think is right they need a Stern God when they need forgiveness they run to Jesus but we were all in him he reflected my heart exactly I love you and invite you to love me but why me I mean why Mackenzie Allen Phillips why do you love someone who is such a screw-up after all the things I've felt in my heart toward you and all the accusations I made why would you even bother to keep trying to get through to me because that is what love does remember Mackenzie I don't wonder what you will do or what choices you will make I already know let's say for example I'm trying to teach you how not to hide inside of Lies hypothetically of course and let's say that I know it will take you 47 situations and events before you will actually hear me that is before you will hear clearly enough to agree with me and change so when you don't hear me the first time I'm not frustrated or disappointed I'm thrilled only 46 more times to go and that first time will be a building block to construct a bridge of healing that one day that today you will walk across okay now I'm feeling guilty let me know how that works for you seriously Mackenzie it's not about feeling guilty guilt and never help you find Freedom in me the best it can do is make you try harder to conform to some ethic on the outside I'm about the inside but what you said I mean about hiding inside lies I guess I've done that one way or another most of my life honey you're a Survivor no shame in that your daddy hurt you something fierce life hurt you lies are one of the easiest places for survivors to run it gives you a sense of safety a place where you only have to depend on yourself but it's a dark place isn't it so dark but are you willing to give up the power and safety it promises you that's the question what do you mean lies are a little Fortress inside them you can feel safe and Powerful through your little Fortress of lies you try to run your life and manipulate others but the Fortress needs walls so you build some these are the justifications for your lies you know like you are doing this to protect someone you love to keep them from feeling pain whatever works just so you feel okay about the lies but the reason I didn't tell Nan about the note was because it would have caused her so much hurt see there you go Mackenzie justifying yourself what you said is a bold-faced lie but you can't see it you want me to tell you what the truth is Mac new Papa was going deep and somewhere inside he was both relieved to be talking about this and tempted to almost laugh out loud he was no longer embarrassed by it no he smirked up at her but go ahead anyway she smiled back and then grew serious the truth is Mac the real reason you did not tell Nan was not because you were trying to save her from pain the real reason is that you were afraid of having to deal with the emotions you might encounter both from her and in yourself emotions scare you mack you lied to protect yourself not her he sat back Papa was absolutely right and furthermore such a lie is unloving in the name of caring about her your lie became an inhibitor in your relationship with her and in her relationship with me if you had told her maybe she would be here with us now Papa's words hit Mac like a punch in the stomach you wanted her to come too that was your decision and hers if she had ever been given the chance to make it the point is Mac you don't know what would have happened because you were so busy protecting Nan and again he was floundering in guilt so what do I do now you tell her Mackenzie you face the fear of coming out of the dark and tell her and ask for her forgiveness and you let her forgiveness heal you ask her to pray for you mack take the risks of honesty when you mess up again ask for forgiveness again it's a process honey and life is real enough without having to be obscured by lies and remember I am bigger than your lies I can work Beyond them but that doesn't make them right and doesn't stop the damage they do or the hurt they cause others what if she doesn't forgive me Mac knew that this was indeed a very deep fear that he lived with it felt safer to continue to throw new lies on the growing pile of old ones ah that is the risk of Faith Mack Faith does not grow in the house of certainty I'm not here to tell you that Nan will forgive you perhaps she won't or can't but my life inside of you will appropriate risk and uncertainty to transform you by your own choices into a truth tiller and that will be a miracle greater than raising the Dead Max sat back and let her words sink in will you please forgive me did that a long time ago Mac if you don't believe me ask Jesus he was there Mack took a sip of his coffee surprised to find that it was still as hot as when he first sat down but I've tried pretty hard to lock you out of my life people are tenacious when it comes to The Treasure of their imaginary Independence they hoard and hold their sickness with a firm grip they find their identity and worth in their Brokenness and guarded with every ounce of strength they have no wonder Grace has such little attraction in that sense you've tried to lock the door of your heart from the inside but I didn't succeed that's because my love is a lot bigger than your stupidity I used your choices to work perfectly into my purposes there are many folk like you Mackenzie who end up locking themselves into a very small place with a monster that will ultimately betray them they will not fill or deliver what they thought it would imprisoned with such a terror they once again have the opportunity to return to me the very treasure they trusted in will become their undoing so you use pain to force people back to you it was obvious Mack didn't approve Papa leaned forward and gently touched Mac's hand honey I also forgave you for even thinking I could be that way I understand how difficult it is for you so lost in your perceptions of reality and yet so sure of your own judgments to even begin to perceive let alone imagine Who real love and goodness are true love never forces she squeezed his hand and sat back but if I understand what you're saying the consequences of our selfishness are part of the process that brings us to the end of our delusions and helps us find you is that why you don't stop every evil is that why you didn't warn me that Missy was in danger or help us find her the accusing tone was no longer in Mack's voice if only it were that simple McKenzie nobody knows what Horrors I have saved the world from because people can't see what never happened all evil flows from Independence and Independence is your choice if I were to Simply revoke all the choices of Independence the world as you know it would cease to exist and love would have no meaning this world is not a playground where I keep all my children free from evil evil is the chaos of this age that you brought to me but it will not have the final say now it touches everyone that I love those who follow me and those who don't if I take away the consequences of people's choices I destroy the possibility of love love that is forced is no love at all Mack rubbed his hands through his hair inside it's it's just so hard to understand honey let me tell you one of the reasons that it makes no sense to you it's because you have such a small view of what it means to be human you and this creation are incredible whether you understand that or not you are wonderful Beyond imagination just because you make horrendous and destructive choices does not mean you deserve less respect for what you inherently are the Pinnacle of my creation and the center of my affection but also don't forget that in the midst of all your pain and heartache you are surrounded by Beauty The Wonder of creation art your music and culture the sounds of laughter and love of whispered hopes and celebrations of new life and transformation of reconciliation and forgiveness these also are the results of your choices and every choice matters even the hidden ones so whose choices should we counter man Mackenzie perhaps I should never have created perhaps Adam should have been stopped before he chose Independence what about your choice to have another daughter or your father's choice to beat his son you demand your Independence but then complain that I actually love you enough to give it to you I've heard that before pop a smile back and reached for a piece of pastry I told you Sophia got to you Mackenzie my purposes are not for my comfort or yours my purposes are always and only an expression of love I have purpose to work life out of death to bring freedom out of Brokenness and turn Darkness into light what you see is chaos I see as fractal All Things Must unfold even though it puts all those I love in the midst of a world of horrible tragedies even the one closest to me you're talking about Jesus aren't you yep I love that boy Papa looked away and shook her head everything's about him you know one day you folk will understand what he gave up there are just no words Matt could feel his own emotions welling up something touched him deeply as he watched Papa talk about her son he hesitated to ask but finally broke into the silence Papa can you help me understand something what exactly did Jesus accomplish by dying she was still looking out into the forest oh nothing much just the substance of everything that love purposed from before the foundations of creation Papa stated matter of factly then turned and smiled wow that's a pretty broad brush could you bring it down a few notches Max thought he asked rather boldly after the words that left his mouth Papa instead of being upset beamed at him my but aren't you getting uppity at all give a man an inch and he thinks he's a ruler he returned the grin but his mouth was full and he didn't say anything like I said everything is about him creation and history are all about Jesus he is the very center of our purpose and in him we are now fully human so our purpose and your destiny are forever linked you might say that we put all our eggs in the one human basket there is no plan B seems pretty risky maybe for you but not for me there's never been a question that what I wanted from the beginning I will get Papa sat forward and crossed her arms on the table honey you asked me what Jesus accomplished on the cross so now listen to me carefully through his death and Resurrection I am now fully reconciled to the world the whole world you mean those who believe in you right the whole world Mac all I am telling you is that reconciliation is a two-way street and I have done my part totally completely finally it is not the nature of love to force a relationship but it is the nature of love to open the way at that Papa stood up and gathered the dishes to take into the kitchen Mack shook his head and looked up so I don't really understand reconciliation and I'm really scared of emotions is that about it Papa didn't answer immediately but shook her head as she turned and walked away in the direction of the kitchen Mack overheard her Grunt and mutter as if only to herself man such idiots sometimes Mack couldn't believe it did I hear God call me an idiot he saw her shrug before disappearing around the corner and then he heard her yell back in his direction if the shoe fits honey yes sir if the shoe fits Mack laughed and sat back he felt finished his brain tank was more than full as was his stomach he carried the rest of the dishes to the kitchen and placed the stack on the counter kissed Papa on the cheek and headed for the back door verbs and other freedoms God is a verb Buckminster Fuller Max stepped outside into the mid-afternoon sun he felt an odd mixture of being rung out like a rag and yet exhilaratingly alive what an incredible day this had been and it was barely half over for a moment he stood undecided before wandering down to the lake when he saw the canoes tied up at the dock he knew it would probably forever be bittersweet but the thought of taking one out on the lake energized him for the first time in years untying the last one at the end of the dock he gingerly slid into it and began paddling toward the other side for the next couple of hours he circled the lake exploring its nooks and crannies he found two rivers and a couple of creeks that either fed from above or emptied down toward the lower basins and he discovered a perfect spot to drift and watch the waterfall Alpine flowers blossomed everywhere adding splashes of color to the landscape this was the most calm and consistent sense of peace that Mack had felt in ages if ever he even sang a few songs a couple old hymns and a couple old folk songs Just because he wanted to singing was also something he had not done in a long time reaching back into the distant past he began to voice the silly little song he used to sing to Kate a beautiful KT you're the only one that I adore he shook his head as he thought about his daughter so tough it's so fragile he wondered how he might find a way to reach her heart he was no longer surprised how easily tears could come to his eyes at one point he turned to watch Eddies and whirls made by The Ore blade and Stern and when he turned back sarayu was sitting in the prowl looking at him her sudden presence made him jump jeez you startled me sorry Mackenzie but supper is almost ready and it is time to invite you to make your way back to the shack have you been with me the entire time of course I am always with you then how come I didn't know it lately I've been able to tell when you're around for you to know or not has nothing at all to do with whether I'm actually here or not I am always with you sometimes I want you to be aware in a special way more intentional Mac nodded that he understood and turned the canoe toward the distant Shore in the shack he now distinctly felt her presence in the tingle down his spine they both smiled simultaneously will I always be able to see you or hear you like I do now even if I'm back home Kenzie you can always talk to me and I will always be with you whether you sense my presence or not I know that now but how will I hear you you will learn to hear my thoughts in yours Mackenzie will it be clear what if I confuse you with another voice what if I make mistakes sorry whose laugh made the sound like tumbling water only set to music of course you will make mistakes everybody makes mistakes but you will begin to better recognize my voice as we continue to grow our relationship I don't want to make mistakes oh Mackenzie mistakes are a part of life and papa works his purpose in them too she was amused and Mac couldn't help but grin back he could see her Point well enough this is so different from everything I've known sorry you don't get me wrong I love what you all have given me this weekend but I have no idea how I go back to my life somehow it seemed easier to live with God when I thought of him as the demanding task master or even to cope with the loneliness of the great sadness you think so really at least then I seem to have things under control seem is the right word what did it get you the great sadness and more pain than you could bear pain that spilled over even on those you care for the most according to Papa that's because I'm scared of emotions I thought that little interchange was hilarious I am afraid of emotions Mack was a bit perturbed that she seemed to make light of it I don't like how they feel I've heard others with them and I can't trust them at all did you create all of them or only the good ones can see sorry you seem to rise up into the air he still had a difficult time looking right at her but with the late afternoon sun reflecting off the water it was even worse emotions are the colors of the Soul they are spectacular and incredible when you don't feel the world becomes dull and colorless just think how the great sadness reduced the range of color in your life down to monotones and flat Grays and plaques so help me understand them not much to understand actually they just are they are neither bad nor good they just exist here is something that will help you sort this out in your mind Mackenzie paradigms power perception and perceptions power emotions most emotions are responses to perception what you think is true about a given situation if your perception is false then your emotional response to it will be false too so check your perceptions and beyond that check the truthfulness of your paradigms what you believe just because you believe something firmly doesn't make it true be willing to re-examine what you believe the more you live in the truth the more your emotions will help you see clearly but even then you don't want to trust them more than me Mac allowed his ore to turn in his hands as he let it play in the water's movements it feels like living out of relationship you know trusting and talking to you is a bit more complicated than just following rules what rules are those Mackenzie you know all the things the scripture tells us we should do okay and what might those be you know about doing good things and avoiding evil being kind to the poor reading your Bible praying going to church things like that I see and how is that working for you well I've never done it very well I have moments that aren't too bad but there's always something I'm struggling with or feeling guilty about I just figured I needed to try harder but I find it difficult to sustain that motivation Mackenzie the Bible doesn't teach you to follow rules it is a picture of Jesus while words may tell you what God is like and even what he may want from you you cannot do any of it on your own life and living is in him and in no other my goodness you didn't think you could live the righteousness of God on your own did you well I thought so sort of but you gotta admit rules and principles are simpler than relationships it is true that relationships are a whole lot messier than rules but rules will never give you answers to the Deep questions of the heart and they will never love you dipping his hand in the water he played watching the patterns his movements made I'm realizing how few answers I have to anything you know you've turned me upside down or inside out or something Mackenzie religion is about having the right answers and some of their answers are right but I am about the process that takes you to the living answer and once you get to him he will change you from the inside there are a lot of smart people who are able to say a lot of right things from their brain because they have been told what the right answers are but they don't know me at all so really how can their answers be right even if they are right if you understand my drift she smiled at her pun so even though they might be right they are still wrong I understand what you're saying I did that for years after Seminary I had the right answers sometimes but I didn't know you this weekend sharing life with you has been far more Illuminating than any of those answers they continued to move lazily with a current so will I see you again of course you might see me in a piece of art or music or silence or through people or in creation or in your joy and sorrow my ability to communicate is Limitless living and transforming and it will always be tuned to Papa's goodness and love and you will hear and see me in the Bible in fresh ways just don't look for rules and principles look for relationship a way of coming to be with us it still won't be the same as having you sit on the bow of my boat no it will be far better than you've yet known McKenzie and when you finally sleep in this world we'll have an eternity together face to face and then she was gone although he knew that she was not really so please help me live in the truth maybe that counts as prayer when Mac entered the cabin he saw that Jesus and Sarah you were already there and seated around the table Papa was busy as usual bringing platters of wonderful smelling dishes again only a few that Mac recognized and even those he had to look at twice to make sure they were something he was familiar with conspicuously absent were any greens he headed for the bathroom to clean up and when he returned the other three had already begun to eat he pulled up the fourth chair and sat down you don't really have to eat do you he began to Ladle something into his bowl that resembled a thin seafood soup with squid and fish and other more ambiguous Delicacies we don't have to do anything then why do you eat to be with you honey you need to eat so what better excuse to be together anyway we all like to cook and I enjoy food a lot nothing like a little shumai ugali nipla or Corey bananji to make your taste buds happy follow that with some sticky toffee pudding or Tiramisu and hot tea yeah doesn't get any better than that everyone laughed and then busily resumed passing platters and helping themselves as Mac ate he listened to the banter between the three they talked and laughed like old friends who knew one another intimately has he thought about it that was assuredly more true for his hosts than anyone inside or outside creation he was envious of the Carefree but respectful conversation and wondered what it would take to share that with Nan and maybe even with some friends again Mack was struck by the Wonder and sheer absurdity of the moment his mind wandered through the incredible conversations that had involved him during the previous 24 hours wow he had only been here one day and what was he supposed to do with all this when he got back home he knew that he would tell Nan everything she might not believe him and not that he would blame her he probably wouldn't believe any of it either as his mind picked up speed he felt himself withdrawing from the others none of this could be real he closed his eyes and tried to shut out the exchanges going on around him suddenly it was dead silent he slowly opened one eye half expecting to be waking up at home instead Papa Jesus and Sarah you were all staring at him with silly grins plastered to their faces he didn't even try to explain himself he knew that they knew instead he pointed to one of the dishes and asked can I try some of that the interactions resumed and this time he listened but again he felt himself withdrawing the counteract it he decided to ask a question why do you love us humans I suppose I as he spoke he realized he hadn't formed his question very well I guess what I want to ask is why do you love me when I have nothing to offer you if you think about it Mac it should be very freeing to know that you can offer us nothing at least not anything that can add or take away from who we are that should alleviate any pressure to perform and do you love your own children more when they perform well no I I see your point but I do feel more fulfilled because they are in my life do you no we are already fully fulfilled within ourself you are designed to be in community as well made as you are in our very image so for you to feel that way about your children or anything that adds to you is Perfectly Natural and right keep in mind Mackenzie that I Am Not a Human Being not in my very nature despite how we have chosen to be with you this weekend I am truly human in Jesus but I am a totally separate other in my nature you do know what course you do that I can only follow that line of thought so far and then I get lost and my brain turns to mush I understand you cannot see in your mind's eye something that you cannot experience Mack thought about that for a moment I guess so whatever see mush when the others stopped laughing Mac continued you know how truly grateful I am for everything but you've dumped a whole lot in my lap this weekend what do I do when I get back what do you expect of me now Jesus and papa both turn to sorrow you who had a fork full of something halfway to her mouth she slowly put it back down onto her plate and then answered Max confused look Mac you must forgive these two humans have a tendency to restructure language according to their independence and need to perform so when I hear language abused in favor of rules over sharing life with us it is difficult for me to remain silent as it must so what exactly did I say mac go ahead and finish your bite we can talk as you eat Mack realized that he too had a fork halfway to his mouth he gratefully took the bite as Sarah you began to speak as she did she seemed to lift off her chair and Shimmer with a dance of subtle Hues and shades and the room was faintly filling with an array of Aromas incense-like and heady let me answer that by asking you a question why do you think we came up with the Ten Commandments again Mac had his Fork halfway to his mouth but took the bite anyway while he thought of how to answer sarayu I suppose at least I have been taught that it's a set of rules that you expected humans to obey in order to live righteously in your good graces if that were true which it is not then how many do you think lived righteously enough to enter our good graces not very many if people are like me actually only one succeeded Jesus he not only obeyed the letter of the law but fulfilled the spirit of it completely but understand this Mackenzie to do that he had to rest fully and dependently upon me then why did you give us those Commandments actually we wanted you to give up trying to be righteous on your own it was a mirror to reveal just how filthy your face gets when you live independently but as I'm sure you know there are many who think they are made righteous by following the rules can you clean your face with the same mirror that shows you how dirty you are there is no mercy or Grace in rules not even for one mistake that's why Jesus fulfilled all of it for you so that it no longer has jurisdiction over you and the law that once contained impossible demands Thou shalt not actually becomes a promise we fulfill in you she was on a roll now her countenance billowing and moving keep in mind that if you live your life alone and independently the promise is empty Jesus laid the demand of the law to rest it no longer has any power to accuse or command Jesus is both the promise and it's fulfillment are you saying I don't have to follow the rules Mac had now completely stopped eating and was concentrating on the conversation yes in Jesus you are not under any law all things are lawful you can't be serious now you're messing with me again child you ain't heard nothing yet Mackenzie those who are afraid of Freedom are those who cannot trust us to live in them trying to keep the law is actually a declaration of independence a way of keeping control is that why we like the law so much to give us some control it is much worse than that it grants you the power to judge others and feel Superior to them you believe you are living to a higher standard than those you judge enforcing rules especially in its more subtle expressions like responsibility and expectation is a vain attempt to create certainty out of uncertainty in contrary to what you might think I have a great fondness for uncertainty rules cannot bring freedom they only have the power to accuse whoa Max suddenly realized what Sarah you had said are you telling me that responsibility and expectation are just another form of rules we are no longer under did I hear you right yep now we're in it Sarah you he is all yours Mack ignored Papa choosing instead concentrate on Sarah you which was no easy task sarayu smiled at Papa and then back at Mac Mackenzie I will take a verb over a noun any time she stopped and waited Mac wasn't at all sure about what he was supposed to understand by her cryptic remark and said the only thing that came to mind huh she opened her hands to include Jesus and Papa I I am a verb I am that I am I will be who I will be I am a verb I am alive Dynamic ever acting and moving I am a being verb Max still felt like he had a Blank Stare on his face he understood the word she was saying but it just wasn't connecting yet and as my very essence is a verb I am more attuned to verbs than nouns verbs such as confessing repenting living loving responding growing reaping changing sowing running dancing singing and on and on humans on the other hand have a knack for taking a verb that is alive and full of grace and turning it into a dead noun or principle that reeks of rules something growing and Alive dies nouns exist because there is a created universe and physical reality but if the universe is only a mass of nouns it is dead unless I am there are no verbs and verbs are what makes the universe alive Mac was still struggling although a glimmer of light seemed to begin to shine into his mind and and this means what exactly sariyu seemed unperturbed by his lack of understanding for something to move from Death to life you must introduce something living and moving into the mix to move from something that is only a noun to something Dynamic and unpredictable to something living and present tense is to move from law to Grace may I give you a couple examples please do I'm all ears Jesus chuckled and Max scowled at him before turning back to Sarah you faintest shadow of a smile crossed her face as she resumed then let's use your two words responsibility and expectation before your words became nouns they were first my words nouns with movement and experience buried inside of them the ability to respond and expectancy my words are alive and dynamic full of life and possibility yours are dead full of Law and fear and judgment that is why you won't find the word responsibility in the scriptures Matt grimaced beginning to see where this was going oh boy we sure seem to use that a lot religion must use law to empower itself and control the people who they need in order to survive I give you an ability to respond and your response is to be free to love and serve in every situation and therefore each moment is different and unique and wonderful because I am your ability to respond I have to be present in you if I simply gave you a responsibility I would not have to be with you at all it would now be a task to perform an obligation to be met something to fail oh boy oh boy let's use the example of friendship and how removing the element of life from a noun can drastically alter a relationship Mac if you and I are friends there is an expectancy that exists within our relationship when we see each other or are apart there is expectancy of being together of laughing and talking that expectancy has no concrete definition it is alive and dynamic and everything that emerges from our being together is a unique gift shared by no one else but what happens if I change that expectancy to an expectation spoken or unspoken suddenly law has entered into our relationship you are now expected to perform in a way that meets my expectations our living friendship rapidly deteriorates into a dead thing with rules and requirements it is no longer about you and me but about what friends are supposed to do or the responsibilities of a good friend or the responsibilities of a husband or a father or employee or whatever I get the picture I would much rather live in expectancy as I do but if you didn't have expectations and responsibilities wouldn't everything just fall apart only if you are of the world apart from me and under the law responsibilities and expectations are the basis of guilt and shame and judgment and they provide the essential framework that promotes performance as the basis for identity and value you know well what it is like not to live up to someone's expectations boy do I it's not my idea of a good time he paused briefly a new thought flashing through his mind are you saying you have no expectations of me honey I've never placed an expectation on you or anyone else the idea behind expectations requires that someone does not know the future or outcome and is trying to control Behavior to get the desired result humans try to control Behavior largely through expectations I know you and everything about you why would I have an expectation other than what I already know that would be foolish and beyond that because I have no expectations you never disappoint me Mack was trying hard to digest this what you've never been disappointed in me never what I do have is a constant and living expectancy in our relationship and I give you an ability to respond to any situation and Circumstance in which you find yourself to the degree that you resort to expectations and responsibilities to that degree you neither know me nor trust me and to that degree you will live in fear but but don't you want us to set priorities you know God first then whatever followed by whatever the trouble with living by priorities is that it sees everything as a hierarchy or pyramid and you and I have already had that discussion if you put God at the top what does that really mean and how much is enough how much time do you give me before you can go on about the rest of your day the part that interests you so much more you see Mackenzie I don't just want a piece of you and a piece of your life even if you were able which you are not to give me the biggest peace that is not what I want I want all of you and all of every part of you and your day Mac I don't want to be first among a list of values I want to be at the center of everything when I live in you then together we can live through everything that happens to you rather than a pyramid I want to be the center of a mobile where everything in your life your friends family occupation thoughts activities is connected to me but moves with the wind in and out and back and forth in an incredible dance of being and I I Am The Wind she smiled hugely and bowed there was a silence while Mack collected himself he'd been gripping the edge of the table with both hands as if to hold on to something tangible in the face of such an onslaught of ideas and images Papa got up from her chair well enough of all this time for some fun you all go ahead while I put away the stuff that'll spoil I'll take care of the dishes later what about devotion nothing is a ritual Mac so tonight we are doing something different you are going to enjoy this as Max stood up and turned to follow Jesus to the back door he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around sarayu was standing close looking at him intently Mackenzie if you would allow me I would like to give you a gift for this evening may I touch your eyes and heal them just for tonight Mack was surprised I see well enough don't I actually you see very little even though for a human you see fairly well but just for tonight I would love you to see a bit of what we see and by all means please touch my eyes and more if you choose as she reached her hands toward him Mack closed his eyes and leaned forward her touch was like ice unexpected and exhilarating a delicious shiver went through him and he reached up to hold her hands to his face there was nothing there so he slowly began to open his eyes a festival of friends you can kiss your family and friends goodbye and put miles between you but at the same time you carry them with you in your heart your mind your stomach because you do not just live in a world but a world lives in you Frederick beekner when Mac opened his eyes he had to immediately Shield them from a blinding light that overwhelmed him then he heard something you will find it very difficult to look at me directly or at Papa but as your mind becomes accustomed to the changes it will be easier he was standing right where he had closed his eyes but the shack was gone as well as the dark and sharp instead he was outside perched on the top of a small hill under a brilliant but moonless night sky he could see that the stars were in motion not hurriedly but smoothly and with precision as if they were Grand Celestial conductors coordinating their movements occasionally as if On Cue comets and meteor showers would tumble through the starry ranks adding variation to the flowing dance then Max saw some of the Stars grow and change color as if they were turning Nova or white dwarf it was as if time itself had become Dynamic and volatile adding to the seeming chaotic but precisely managed Heavenly display he turned back to sarayu who still stood next to him although she was still difficult to look at directly he could now make out Symmetry and colors embedded within patterns as if miniature diamonds rubies and sapphires of all colors had been sewn into a garment of Light which moved first in waves and then scattered as particulate it is all so incredibly beautiful he whispered surrounded as he was by such a holy and Majestic sight truly now Mackenzie look around he did and gasped even in the darkness of the night everything had Clarity and Shone with Halos of light in various Hues and shades of color the forest was itself a fire with light and color yet each tree was distinctly visible each branch each leaf birds and bats created a trail of colored fire as they flew or chased each other he could even see that in the distance an army of creation was in attendance dear Bear mountain sheep and Majestic elk near the edges of the forest an otter and beaver in the lake each shining in its own colors and Blaze myriads of little creatures scampered and darted everywhere each alive within its own Glory in a rush of Peach and Plum and current flames and Osprey Dove toward the surface of the lake but pulled up at the last instant to skim across its surface Sparks from its wings falling like snow into the waters as it passed behind it a large rainbow-clothed lake trout burst through the surface as if the taunt a passing Hunter and then dropped back in the midst of a splash of colors Mac felt Larger than Life as if he were able to be present wherever he looked two bear cubs playing near the feet of their mother caught his eye ocher mint and Hazel tumbling as they rolled and laughed in their native tongue from where he stood Mack felt that he could reach out and touch them and without thought stretched out his arm he drew it back startled as he realized that he too was a blaze he looked at his hands wonderfully crafted and clearly visible inside the cascading colors of light that seemed to glove them he examined the rest of his body to find that light and color robed him completely clothing of Purity that allowed him both freedom and propriety Mack realized also that he felt no pain not even in his usually aching joints in fact he had never felt this well this whole his head was clear and he breathed deeply the sense and Aromas of the night and of the sleeping flowers in the garden many of which had begun to awaken to this celebration delirious and delicious Joy welled up inside of him and he jumped floating slowly up into the air then returned gently to the ground so similar he thought to dream flying and then Mack saw the lights single moving points emerging from the forest converging upon the metal below where he and sarayu stood he could see them now high up on the surrounding mountains appearing and disappearing as they made their way toward them down unseen paths and trails they broke into the meadow an army of children there were no candles they themselves were lights and within their own Radiance each was dressed in distinctive garbs that Mack imagined represented every tribe and tongue although he could only identify a few it didn't matter these were the children of the earth Papa's children they entered with quiet dignity and Grace faces full of contentment and peace young ones holding the hands of even younger ones for a moment Mac wondered if Missy might be there and although he looked for a minute he gave up he settled within himself that if she were and if she wanted to run to him she would the children had now formed a huge circle within the meadow with a path left open from near where Max stood into the very center little bursts of fire and light like a stadium of slope popping flash bulbs ignited when the children would giggle or whisper even though Mack had no idea what was going on they obviously did and the anticipation was almost too much for them emerging into the clearing behind them and forming another circle of larger lights stood Those whom Mac presumed were adults like himself colorfully brilliant and yet subdued suddenly Mack's attention was caught by an unusual motion it appeared that one of the light beings in the Outer Circle was having some difficulty flashes and Spears of violet and ivory would Arch briefly into the night in their Direction as these retreated they were replaced by a orchid gold and flaming Vermilion burning and Brilliant sprays of Radiance that burst out again toward them flaming against the immediate Darkness only to subside and return to their source Sarah you chuckled what's going on there is a man here who is having some difficulty keeping in what he's feeling whoever was struggling could not contain himself and was agitating some of the others nearby the ripple effect was clearly visible as the flashing light extended into the surrounding ring of children those closest to the instigator seem to be responding as color and light flowed from them toward him the combinations that emerged from each were unique and seemed to Mac to contain a distinctive response to the one causing the commotion I still don't understand Mackenzie the pattern of color and light is unique to each person no two are alike and no pattern is ever the same twice here we are able to see each other truly and part of seeing means that individual personality and emotion is visible in color and Light this is incredible then why are the children's colors mostly White as you near them you will see that they have many individual colors that have merged into white which contains all as they mature and grow to become who they really are the colors they exhibit will become more distinctive and unique Hues and shades will emerge incredible was all Matt could think to say and he looked more intently he now noticed that behind the circle of adults others had emerged spaced equally around the entire perimeter they were taller Flames seeming to blow with the wind currents and were a similar Sapphire and aqua blue with unique bits of other colors embedded in each one Sarah you answered before Mac could ask angels servants and Watchers incredible there is more Mackenzie and this will help you understand the problem this particular one is having she pointed in the direction of the ongoing commotion even to Mac it was obvious that the man whomever he was continued to have difficulty sudden and abrupt Spears of light and color at times shot out even farther toward them we are not only able to see the uniqueness of one another in color and light but we are able to respond through the same medium but this response is very difficult to control and it is usually not intended to be restrained as this one is attempting it is most natural to let its expression just be I don't understand are you saying that we can respond to one another in colors yes sorry you nodded or at least that's what Mack thought she did each relationship between two persons is absolutely unique that is why you cannot love two people the same it simply is not possible you love each person differently because of who they are and the uniqueness that they draw out of you and the more you know another the Richer the colors of that relationship Mac was listening but still watching the display before them perhaps the best way you can understand is for me to give you a quick illustration suppose Mac that you are hanging out with a friend at your local coffee shop you are focused on your companion and if you had eyes to see the two of you would be enveloped in an array of colors and Light which Mark not only your uniqueness as individuals but also the uniqueness of the relationship between you and the emotions you'd be experiencing in that moment but Mac began to ask only to be cut off but suppose that another person whom you love enters the coffee shop and although you are wrapped in the conversation with your first friend you notice this other's entry again if you had eyes to see the greater reality here's what you would Witness as you continued your current conversation a unique combination of color and light would leave you and wrap itself around the one who had just entered representing you in another form of loving and greeting that one and one more thing Mackenzie it is not only visual but sensual as well you can feel smell and even taste that uniqueness I love that but except for that one over there he pointed in the direction of the agitated lights among the adults how are they all so calm I would think there would be color everywhere don't they know each other they know one another very well most of them but they are here for a celebration that is not about them nor about their relationships with one another at least not directly they are waiting for what you will see very soon it was obvious that she was not about to say any more on the matter Mac's attention had returned to the troublemaker so then why is that one having so much difficulty and why does he seem focused on us Kenzie he is not focused on us he is focused on you what the one having so much trouble containing himself that one is your father a wave of emotions a mixture of angers and longings washed over Mac and as if On Cue his father's colors burst from across the meadow and enveloped him he was lost in a wash of Ruby and Vermilion magenta and violet as the light and color world around and embraced him and somehow in the middle of the exploding storm he found himself running across the meadow to find his father running toward the source of the colors and emotions he was a little boy wanting his daddy and for the first time he was not afraid he was running not caring for anything but the object of his heart and he found him his father was on his knees a wash in light tears sparkling like a waterfall of diamonds and jewels into the hands that covered his face Daddy Mack threw himself onto the man who could not even look at his son in the howl of wind and Flame Mack took his father's face in his two hands forcing his dad to look him in the face so he could stammer the words he had always wanted to say I'm so sorry Daddy I love you the light of his words seemed to blast Darkness out of his father's colors turning them blood red they exchanged sobbing words of confession and forgiveness as a love greater than either one healed him finally they were able to stand together a father holding his son as he had never been able to before it was then that Mack noticed the swell of a song that washed over them both as it penetrated the holy place where he stood with his father with arms around each other they listened unable to speak through the tears to the song of reconciliation that Lit the night sky an arching found in a brilliant color began among the children especially those who had suffered the greatest and then rippled as if passed from one to the next by the wind until the entire field was flooded with light and saw Max somehow knew that this was not a time for conversation and that his time with his father was quickly passing he sensed that by some mystery this was as much for his dad as it was for him as for Mac the new likeness he felt was euphoric kissing his father on the lips he turned and made his way back to the small hill where Sarah you stood waiting for him as he passed through the ranks of children he could feel their touches and colors quickly Embrace him and Fall Away somehow he was already known and loved here when he reached Sarah you she embraced him as well and he let her just hold him as he continued to cry when he regained some semblance of coherence he turned to look back at the meadow the lake and night sky a hush descended the anticipation was palpable suddenly to their right from out of the darkness emerged Jesus and pandemonium broke out he was dressed in a simple brilliant white garment and War on his head a simple gold crown but he was every inch the king of the universe he walked the path that opened before him into the center the center of all creation the man who is God and The God Who is man light and color danced and wove a tapestry of love for him to step on some were crying out Words of Love While others simply stood with hands lifted up many of those whose colors were the richest and deepest were lying flat on their faces everything that had a breath sang out a song of unending love and thankfulness tonight the universe was as it was intended as Jesus reached the center he paused to look around his gaze stopped on Mac standing on the small hill at the outer edge and he heard Jesus whisper in his ear Mack I am especially fond of you that was all Mac could bear as he slumped to the ground dissolving into a wash of Joyful tears he couldn't move gripped as he was in Jesus Embrace of love and tenderness he then heard Jesus say clearly and loudly but oh so gently and invitingly come and they did the children first and then the adults each in turn for as long as they need it to laugh and talk and embrace and sing with their Jesus time seemed to have completely stopped as the celestial dance and display continued and each in turn then left until none remained except the burning blue Sentinels and the animals even these Jesus walked among calling each by name until they and their young turned to make their way back to dens and nests and bedding pastures Max stood motionless trying to absorb this experience that was beyond his ability to capture he whispered shaking his head and gazing into the distance laughed a shower of colors just imagine Mackenzie if I had touched not only your eyes but also your tongue and nose and ears finally they were alone once more the wild haunting Cry of elune echoing across the lake seemed to Signal the end of the celebration and the Sentinels vanished in unison the only sounds remaining Were A Chorus of crickets and frogs resuming their own songs of worship from out of the water's edge and surrounding Meadows without a word the three turned and walked back toward the shack that had again become visible to Mac like a curtain being drawn across his eyes he was suddenly blind again his vision returning to normal he felt a loss and a longing and even a little sad until Jesus came alongside and took his hand squeezing it to let Mac know that everything was as it should be a morning of Sorrows an infinite God can give all of himself to each of his children he does not distribute himself that each may have a part but to each one he gives all of himself as fully as if there were no others A.W Tozer it seemed that he had only just entered a deep sleep of dreamless rest when Mack felt a hand shaking him awake Mack wake up it's time for us to go the voice was familiar but deeper as if she had just woken from sleep herself uh-huh what time is it he tried to figure out where he was and what he was doing it's time to go although he didn't think that answered what he had been asking he climbed out of the bed grumbling and fumbling until he found the lamp switch and snapped it on it was blinding after the pitch dark and it took another moment until he could pry one eye open and squint up at his early morning visitor the man standing next to him looked a bit like Papa dignified older and wiry and taller than mac he had silver white hair pulled back into a ponytail matched by a gray splashed mustache and goatee plaid shirt with sleeves rolled up jeans and hiking boots completed the outfit of someone ready to hit the trail Papa yes son you're still messing with me aren't you always he answered Mac's next question before it was asked this morning you're going to need a father come on now let's get going I have everything you need on the chair and table at the end of your bed I'll meet you out in the kitchen where you can grab a bite to eat before we head out Mac nodded he didn't bother to ask where they might be heading out too if Papa had wanted him to know he would have told him he quickly dressed into perfectly fitting clothes similar to what Papa was wearing and donned a pair of hiking boots after a quick stop in the bathroom to freshen up he walked into the kitchen Jesus and papa stood by the counter looking a lot more rested than Mack felt he was about to speak when Sarah you entered through the back door with a large rolled up pack it looked like an elongated sleeping bag bound tightly with a strap hooked to each end so it could be easily carried she handed it to Mac and he could immediately smell a wonderful mixture of scents arising from the bundle it was a blend of aromatic herbs and flowers that he thought he recognized he could smell cinnamon and mint along with salts and fruits this is a gift for later papa will show you how to use it she smiled and hugged him or that was the only way he could describe it it was just so hard to tell with her you may carry it you picked those with Sarah you yesterday my gift will wait here until you return smile Jesus the two left out the back and Mack was alone with Papa who was busy scrambling a couple eggs and frying two strips of bacon Papa aren't you eating Mac asked surprised at how easy it had become to call him that nothing is a ritual Mackenzie you need this I don't and don't wolf it down we have plenty of time and eating too fast is not good for your digestion Mac ate slowly and in relative silence simply enjoying Papa's presence at one point Jesus poked his head into the dining area to inform Papa that he had put the tools they would need just outside the door Papa thanked Jesus who kissed him on the lips and left out the back door Mac was helping clean the few dishes when he asked you really love him don't you but Jesus I mean I know who you mean Papa paused in the middle of washing the frying pan with all of my heart I suppose there's something very special about an only begotten son Papa winked at Mac and continued that is part of the uniqueness in which I know him they finished the dishes and Mac followed Papa outside Dawn was starting to break over the mountain peaks the colors of early morning Sunrise beginning to identify themselves against the ashy gray of the escaping night brought sarayu's gift and slung it over his shoulder Papa handed him a small pick that was standing next to the door and lifted a pack onto his own back he grabbed a shovel with one hand and a walking stick in the other and without a word headed past the garden an orchard in the general direction of the right side of the lake foreign [Music] please insert the next CD [Music] by the time they reach the trailhead there was enough light to navigate easily here Papa stopped and pointed his walking stick at a tree just off the path Mac could barely make out that someone had marked the tree with a small red ark meant nothing to Mac and papa offered no explanation instead he turned and started down the path keeping an easy pace sarayu's gift was relatively light for its size and Mac used the handle end of the pick as a walking stick the path took them across one of the creeks and deeper into the forest Mack was grateful that his boots were waterproof when a misstep caused him to slip off a rock into ankle deep water he could hear Papa humming a tune as he walked but he didn't recognize it as they hiked Mack thought about the Myriad of things he had experienced during the previous two days the conversations with each of the three together and alone the time with Sophia the devotion he had been part of looking at the night sky with Jesus the walk across the lake and then last night's celebration topped it off including the reconciliation with his father so much healing with so little spoken it was hard to take it all in as he mulled it all over and considered what he had learned Mack realized how many more questions he still had perhaps he would get a chance to ask some of them but he sensed that now was not the time he only knew that he would never be the same again and wondered what these changes would mean for Nan and him and his kids especially Kate but there was something that he still wanted to ask and the issue kept gnawing at him as they walked finally he broke the silence Papa yes son Sophia helped me understand a great deal about Missy yesterday and it really helped talking to Papa I mean talking to you too Mack felt confused but Papa stopped and smiled as if he understood so Matt continued is it strange that I need to talk to you about it too I mean you are more of a father father if that makes any sense I understand McKenzie we are coming full circle forgiving your dad yesterday was a significant part of your being able to know me as father today you don't need to explain any further somehow Mack knew they were nearing the end of a long journey and Papa was working to help him take the last few steps there was no way to create freedom without a cost as you know Papa looked down scars visible and indelibly written into his wrists I knew that my creation would Rebel would choose Independence and death and I knew what it would cost me to open a path of reconciliation your Independence has Unleashed what seems to you a world of chaos random and frightening could I have prevented what happened to Missy the answer is yes Mack looked up at Papa his eyes asking the question that didn't need voicing first by not creating it all these questions would be moot or secondly I could have chosen to actively interfere in her circumstance the first was never a consideration and the latter was not an option for purposes that you cannot possibly understand now at this point all I have to offer you as an answer is my love and goodness and my relationship with you I did not purpose Mrs death that doesn't mean I can't use it for good you're right I don't grasp it very well I think I see a glimpse for a second and then all the longing and loss that I feel seems to rise up and tell me what I thought I saw just couldn't be true but I do trust you and suddenly it was like a new thought surprising and wonderful Papa I do trust you Papa beamed back at him I know son I know with that he turned and started back up the trail and Mac followed his heart a little lighter and more settled they soon began a relatively easy climb and the pace slowed occasionally Papa would pause and tap a boulder or a large tree along the path each time indicating the presence of the little red ark before Matt could ask the obvious question Papa would turn and continue down the trail in time the trees began to thin out and Mack caught glimpses of shale Fields where landslides had taken out sections of the forest sometime before the trail had been built they stopped once for a quick break and Mack drank some of the cool water Papa had packed in canteens shortly after their break the path became more precipitous and the pace slowed even more Matt guessed that they had been traveling almost two hours when they broke out of the tree line he could see the path outlined against the Mountainside ahead of them but first they would have to Traverse a large Rock and Boulder Field again Papa stopped and put down his pack reaching inside for water we're almost there child he handed Mac the canteen we are Mac looked again at the lonely and desolate Rock field that lay ahead of them yes it was all Papa offered and Mack wasn't sure he wanted to ask where exactly they almost were Papa chose a small boulder near the path and placing his pack and shovel next to it sat down he appeared troubled I want to show you something that is going to be very painful for you okay Mac's stomach started to churn as he put down his pick and swung sarahu's gift across his lap as he sat down the Aromas heightened by The Morning Sun filled his senses with beauty and brought a measure of peace what is it to help you see it I want to take away one more thing that darkens your heart Mac knew immediately what it was and turning his gaze away from Papa started boring a hole with his eyes into the ground between his feet so on this is not about shaming you I don't do humiliation or guilt or condemnation they don't produce one Speck of wholeness or righteousness that is why they were nailed into Jesus on the cross he waited allowing that thought to penetrate and wash away some of Mack's sense of Shame before continuing today we are on a healing Trail to bring closure to this part of your journey not just for you but for others as well today we are throwing a big rock into the lake and those ripples will reach places you would not expect you already know what I want don't you I'm afraid I do Mack felt emotions Rising as they seeped out of a locked room in his heart son you need to speak it to name it and there was no holding back as hot tears poured down his face and between sobs Mack began to confess Papa how can I ever forgive that son of a who killed my Missy if you were here today I don't know what I would do I know it isn't right but I want him to hurt like he heard me if I can't get Justice I still want revenge Papa simply let the torrent rush out of Mac waiting for the wave to pass Mac for you to forgive this man is for you to release him to me and allow me to redeem him redeem him again Mac felt the fire of anger and hurt I don't want you to redeem him I want you to hurt him to punish him to put him in hell Papa waited patiently for the emotions to cease I'm stuck Papa I just can't forget what he did can I forgiveness is not about forgetting Mac it's about letting go of another person's throat but I thought you forget our sins Mack I'm God I forget nothing I know everything so forgetting for me is the choice to limit myself son Papa's voice got quiet and Mac looked up at him directly into his deep brown eyes because of Jesus there's now no law demanding that I bring your sins back to mind they're gone when it comes to you and me and they run no interference in our relationship but this man but he too is my son I want to redeem him so what I just forgive him and everything is okay and we become Buddies you don't have a relationship with this man at least not yet forgiveness does not establish relationship in Jesus I have forgiven All Humans for their sins against me but only some choose relationship Mackenzie don't you see that forgiveness is an incredible power power you share with us a power Jesus gives to all whom he indwells so that reconciliation can grow when Jesus forgave those who nailed him to the Cross they were no longer in his debt nor mine in my relationship with those men I will never bring up what they did or shame them or embarrass them I don't think I can do this I want you to forgiveness is first for you the forgiver to release you from something that will eat you alive that will destroy your joy and your ability to love fully and openly do you think this man cares about the pain and torment you've gone through if anything he feeds on that knowledge don't you want to cut that off and in doing so you'll release him from a burden that he carries whether he knows it or not acknowledges it or not when you choose to forgive another you love him well I do not love him today you don't but I do Mack not for what he's become but for the broken child that has been Twisted by his pain I want to help you take on that nature that finds more power in love and forgiveness than hate Mac was again a little angry at the direction of the conversation so does that mean that if I forgive this man then I let him play with Kate or my first granddaughter Mackenzie I already told you that forgiveness does not create a relationship unless people speak the truth about what they have done and change their mind and behavior a relationship of trust is not possible when you forgive someone you certainly release them from judgment but without true change no real relationship can be established so forgiveness does not require me to pretend what he did never happen how can you you forgave your dad last night will you ever forget what he did to you I don't think so but now you can love him in the face of it his change allows for that forgiveness in no way requires that you trust the one you forgive but should they finally confess and repent you will discover a miracle in your own heart that allows you to reach out and begin to build between you a bridge of reconciliation and sometimes and this may seem incomprehensible to you right now that road may even take you to the miracle of fully restored Trust Max slid to the ground and leaned back against The Rock he had been sitting on he studied the dirt between his feet Papa I think I understand what you're saying but it feels like if I forgive this guy he gets all free how do I excuse what he did is it fair to Missy if I don't stay angry with him Mackenzie forgiveness does not excuse anything believe me the last thing this man is is free and you have no duty to Justice in this I will handle that and as for Missy she has already forgiven him Mack didn't even look up she has how could she because of my presence in her that's the only way true forgiveness is ever possible Mack felt Papa sit down next to him on the ground but he still didn't look up has Papa's arms in folded Mac he began to cry let it all out and he finally was able to do just that he closed his eyes as the tears poured out Missy and her memories again flooded his mind visions of coloring books and crayons and torn and bloody dresses he wept until he had cried out all the darkness all the longing and all the loss until there was nothing left with his eyes now closed rocking back and forth he pleaded help me papa help me what do I do oh how do I forgive him tell him Mack looked up half expecting to see a man he had never met standing there but no one was how Papa just say it out loud there's power in what my children declare Mack began to whisper in tones first half-hearted and stumbling but then with increasing conviction I forgive you I forgive you I forgive you Papa held him close Mackenzie you are such a joy when Mac finally collected himself Papa handed him a wet cloth so he could wash his face he then stood up a little unsteady at first wow he tried to find any word that might describe the emotional Journey he had just waded through he felt alive he handed the kerchief back to Papa and asked so he said all right if I'm still angry Papa was quick to respond absolutely what he did was terrible he caused incredible pain to many it was raw and anger is the right response to something that is so wrong but don't let the anger and pain and loss you feel prevent you from forgiving him and removing your hands from around his neck Papa grabbed his pack and threw it on son you may have to declare your forgiveness a hundred times the first day and the second day but the third day will be less and each day after until one day you will realize that you have forgiven completely and then one day you will pray for his wholeness and give him over to me so that my love will burn from his life every Vestige of corruption is incomprehensible as it sounds at this moment you may well know this man in a different context one day Mac groaned but as much as what Papa was saying caused his stomach to churn in his heart he knew that it was the truth they stood up together and Mack turned toward the trail to return back the way they had come Mac we are not done here Max stopped and turned really I thought this was why you brought me here I did but I told you I had something to show you something you have asked me to do we are here to bring Missy home suddenly it all made sense he looked at sarahu's gift and realized what it was for somewhere in this desolate landscape the killer had hidden Missy's body and they had come to retrieve it it was all he could say to Papa as once more a waterfall rolled down his cheeks as if from an endless Reservoir I hate all this this crying and blubbering like an idiot all these tears he moaned oh child don't ever discount The Wonder of your tears they can be Healing Waters and a stream of joy sometimes they are the best words the heart can speak Mac pulled back and looked Papa in the face such pure kindness and Love and Hope and living Joy he had never stared into but you promised that someday there will be no more tears I'm looking forward to that Papa smiled reached the back of his fingers to Mac's face and ever so gently wiped his tear-tracked cheeks Mackenzie in this world is full of tears but if you remember I promised that it would be me who would wipe them from your eyes Mack managed to smile as his soul continued to melt and heal in the love of his father Papa handed him a canteen here take a good swallow I don't want you shriveling up like a prune before all this is over Mac couldn't help but laugh which seemed so out of place but then on second thought he knew it was perfect it was a laugh of Hope and restored joy of the process of closure Papa led the way before leaving the main path and following a trail into the strewn mass of Boulders Papa paused and with his walking stick tapped a large Boulder he looked back at Mac and gestured to him that he should look more closely there it was again the same red ark and now Mack realized the trail they were following had been marked by the man who had taken his daughter as they walked Papa now explained to Mac that no bodies had ever been found because this man would scout out places to hide them sometimes months before he would kidnap the girls halfway through the Boulder Field Papa left the path and entered a maze of rocks and Mountain walls but not before once again pointing out the now familiar marking on a nearby rock face Mac could see that unless a person knew what they were looking for the Marx would easily go unnoticed 10 minutes later Papa stopped in front of a seam where two outcroppings met there was a small pile of Boulders at the base one of them bearing the killer symbol help me with these he began peeling the larger rocks away all this hides a cave entrance once the covering rocks were removed they picked and shoveled away at the hardened dirt and gravel that blocked the entrance suddenly the remaining debris gave way and an opening into a small cave was visible probably once again for some hibernating animal a stale odor of Decay poured out and Mack gagged Papa reached into the end of the role sarayu had given Mack and pulled out a bandana-sized piece of linen from the end of it he tied it around Mac's mouth and nose and immediately its sweet smell cut through the stench of the cave there was only enough space for them to crawl taking a powerful flashlight from his own pack Papa wriggled into the cave first with Mack right behind still carrying sariyu's gift it only took them a few minutes to find their Bittersweet treasure on a small rock outcropping Max saw the body of what he assumed was his Missy face up her body covered by a dirty and decaying sheet like an old glove without a hand animated he knew that the real Missy wasn't there Papa unwrapped what Sarah you had sent with them and immediately the den filled with wonderful living Aromas and scents even though the sheet under Missy's body was fragile it held enough for Mac to lift her and place her in the midst of all the flowers and spices Papa then tenderly wrapped her up and carried her to the entrance Mack exited first and papa passed their treasure to him he stood up as Papa exited and pulled the pack over his shoulders not a word had been spoken except for Mac muttering occasionally under his breath before they left the site Papa picked up the rock with the red ark on it and laid it over the entrance Mac noticed but didn't pay much attention busy as he was with his own thoughts and Tenderly holding the body of his daughter close to his heart choices of the heart Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal author unknown even though Mack carried the burden of Missy's body back to the cabin the time passed quickly when they arrived at the shack Jesus and Sarah you were waiting by the back door Jesus gently relieved him of his burden and together they went to the shop where he had been working Mac had not entered here since his arrival and was surprised at its Simplicity light streaming through large Windows caught and reflected wood dust still hanging in the air the walls and workbenches covered with all manner of tools were organized to easily facilitate the Shop's activities this was clearly the sanctuary of a master Craftsman directly before them stood his work a masterpiece of Art in which to lay the remains of Missy as Mack walked around the box he immediately recognized the etchings in the wood on closer examination he discovered the details of Missy's life were carved into the wood he found an engraving of Missy with her cat Judas there was another of Mac sitting in a chair reading Dr Seuss to her all the family was visible in scenes worked into the sides and top Nan and Missy making cookies the trip to Wallowa Lake with a tram ascending the mountain and even Missy coloring at the camp table along with an accurate representation of the ladybug pin the killer had left behind there was even an accurate rendering of Missy standing and smiling as she looked into the waterfall knowing her daddy was on the other side interspersed throughout were flowers and animals that were Missy's favorites Mack turned and hugged Jesus and as they embraced Jesus whispered into his ear Missy helped she picked out what she wanted on it Max grip tightened he couldn't let go for a long while we have the perfect place prepared for her body Mackenzie it is in our garden with great care they gently placed the remains of Missy into the box laying her on a bed of soft grasses and Moss and then filled it full with the flowers and spices from sariyu's pack closing the lid Jesus and Mack each easily picked up an end and carried it out following saruyu into the garden to the place in the orchard that Mac had helped clear there between Cherry and peach trees surrounded by orchids and daylilies a hole had been dug right where Mac had uprooted the flowering shrub the day before Papa was waiting for them once the crafted box was gently placed into the ground papa gave Mac a huge hug which he returned in kind sarayu stepped forward I am honored to sing Missy's song which she wrote just for this occasion and she began to sing with a voice like an Autumn Wind a sound of turning leaves and forests slowly slumbering the tones of oncoming night and a promise of new days Dawning it was The Haunting tune that he had heard her and papa humming before and Mack now listened to his daughter's words breathe in me deep that I might breathe and live and hold me close that I might sleep soft held by all you give come kiss me wind and take my breath till you and I are one and we will dance among the tombs until all death is gone and no one knows that we exist wrapped in each other's arms except the one who blew the breath that hides me safe from harm come kiss me wind and take my breath till you and I are one and we will dance among the tombs until all death is gone as she finished there was silence and then God all three simultaneously said amen Mack echoed the amen picked up one of the shovels and with help from Jesus began filling in the hole covering the Box in which Missy's body rested when the task was complete sarayu reached within her clothing and withdrew her small fragile bottle from it she poured out a few drops of the precious collection into her hand and began to carefully scatter Max tears under the rich black soil under which Missy's body slept the droplets fell like diamonds and rubies and wherever they landed flowers instantly burst upward and bloomed in the brilliant sun Ryu then paused for a moment looking intently at one Pearl resting in her hand a special tear and then dropped it into the center of the plot immediately a small tree broke through the Earth and began unbending itself from the spot young and luxurious and stunning growing and maturing until it burst into Blossom and Bloom sorry you then in herb whispery breeze-blown way turned and smiled at Mac who had been watching transfixed it is a tree of life Mack growing in the garden of your heart Papa came up next to him and put his arm over his shoulder Missy is incredible you know that truly she loves you I miss her terribly still hurts so much I know Mackenzie I know it was a little afternoon by the path of the sun when the four left the garden and re-entered the cabin there was nothing prepared in the kitchen nor was there any food on the dining table instead Papa LED them all into the living room or on the coffee table sat a glass of wine and a loaf of freshly baked bread they sat down except Papa who remained standing he directed his words to Mack enzie we have something for you to consider while you've been with us you have been healed much and have learned much I think that's an understatement we are especially fond of you you know but here is the choice for you to make you can remain with us and continue to grow and learn or you can return to your other home to Nan to your children and Friends either way we promise to always be with you although this way is a little more overt and obvious Max sat back and thought about it what about Missy well if you choose to stay you will see her this afternoon she will come too but if you choose to leave this place then you will be also choosing to leave Missy behind it's just not an easy choice there was silence in the room for several minutes as Papa allowed Mack the space to struggle with his own thoughts and desires what would Missy want although she would love to be with you today she lives where there is no impatience she does not mind waiting I'd love to be with her but this would be so hard on Nan and my other children let me ask you something it's what I do back home important does it matter I really don't do much other than working and caring for my family and friends Sarah you interrupted him Mack if anything matters then everything matters because you are important everything you do is important every time you forgive the universe changes every time you reach out and touch a heart or a life the world changes with every kindness and service seen or unseen my purposes are accomplished and nothing will ever be the same again okay then I'll go back I don't think that anyone will ever believe my story but if I go back I know that I can make some difference no matter how little that difference might be there are a few things I need uh want to do anyway he paused and looked from one to the next then grinned you know they all left and I really do believe that you will never leave me or abandon me so I am not afraid to go back well maybe a little that is a very good choice he beamed at him sitting down next to him now Sarah you stood in front of Mack and spoke Mackenzie now that you are going back I have one more gift for you to take what is it Mack was curious about anything that Sarah you might give it is for Kate Kate Mack realized that he still carried her as a burden in his heart please tell me Kate believes that she is to blame for Missy's death Mac was stunned what Sarah you had told him was so obvious it made perfect sense that Kate would blame herself she had raised the paddle that started the sequence of events that led to Missy being taken he couldn't believe the thought had never even crossed his mind in one moment Sarah used words opened up a new Vista indicates struggle you so much his heart was full of gratitude now he had to go back for sure even if it were only for Kate he nodded and smiled and sort of sat down finally Jesus stood and reached up to one of the shelves to bring down Max little tin box Mac I thought you might want this Mack took it from Jesus and held it in his hands a moment actually I don't think I'm going to need this anymore can you keep it for me all my best Treasures are now hidden in you anyway I want you to be my life I am came the clear and true voice of assurance without any ritual without ceremony they savored the warm bread and shared the wine and laughed about the stranger moments of the weekend he knew it was over and time for him to head back and figure out how to tell Nan about everything he had nothing to pack his few belongings that had appeared in his room were gone presumably back in his car he changed out of his hiking attire and put on the clothes that he had come in freshly laundered and neatly folded as he finished dressing he grabbed his coat off a wall hook and then took one last look around his room before heading out God a servant he chuckled but then felt a welling up again as the thought made him pause it is more truly God my servant when Mac returned to the living room the three were gone a steaming cup of coffee waited for him by the fireplace he hadn't had a chance to say goodbye but as he thought about it saying goodbye to God seemed a little silly it made him smile he sat down on the floor with his back to the fireplace and took a sip of the coffee it was wonderful and he could feel its warmth travel down his chest suddenly he was exhausted the Myriad of emotions having taken their toll as if his eyes had a will of their own they closed and Max slipped softly and gently into a comforting sleep the next sensation he felt was cold Icy fingers reaching through his clothing and chilling his skin he snapped awake and scrambled clumsily to his feet his muscles sore and stiff from lying on the floor looking around he quickly saw that everything was back to the way it had been two days earlier even down to the blood stain near the fireplace where he had been sleeping he jumped up and ran out the battered door and under the broken porch The Shack once again stood old and ugly doors and windows rusted and broken winter covered the forest and the trail leading back to Willy's Jeep the lake was barely visible through the surrounding vegetation of Tangled Briars and Devils Club most of the dock had sunk and only a few of the larger pylons and attached sections were still standing he was back in the real world then he smiled to himself it was more likely he was back in the unreal world he pulled on his coat and tracked his way back to his car following his old Footprints which were still visible in the snow as Mack reached the car a fresh light snow began to fall the drive back into Joseph was uneventful and he arrived in the dark of a Winter's evening he topped off his tank grabbed a bite of nominally tasting food and tried to call Nan unsuccessfully she was probably on the road he told himself and cell coverage could be sketchy at best Mac resolved to drive by the police station and see if Tommy was in but after a slow Loop revealed no activity inside he decided against going in how could he explain what had happened to Nan let alone Tommy at the next Crossroads the light turned red and he pulled to a stop he was tired but at peace and strangely exhilarated he didn't think he would have any problem staying awake in the long ride home he was anxious to get home to his family especially Kate lost in thought Max simply pulled through the intersection when the light turned green he never even saw the other driver run the opposing red light there was only a brilliant flash of light and then nothing except silence and Inky blackness in a split second Willie's red Jeep was destroyed in minutes fire and rescue and the police arrived and within hours max broken and unconscious body was delivered by Life Flight to a manual Hospital in Portland Oregon outbound ripples faith never knows where it is being led but it knows and loves the one who is leading Oswald Chambers and finally as if from far away he heard a familiar voice squeal in Delight he squeezed my finger I felt it I promise he couldn't even open his eyes to see but he knew Josh was holding his hand he tried to squeeze again but the darkness overwhelmed him and he faded out it took a full day for Mac to gain Consciousness again he could barely move another muscle in his body even the effort to lift a single eyelid seemed overwhelming although doing so was rewarded with screams and shouts and laughter one after another a parade of people rushed up to his one barely open eye as if they were looking into a deep dark hole containing some incredible treasure whatever they saw seemed to please them immensely and off they would go to spread the news some faces he recognized but the ones he didn't max soon learned were those of his doctors and nurses he slept often but it seemed that every time he opened his eyes it would cause no little excitement just wait until I can stick out my tongue that will really get them everything seemed to hurt he was now painfully aware when a nurse moved his body against his will for physical therapy and to keep him from developing bed sores it was apparently routine treatment for people who had been unconscious for more than a day or two but knowing that didn't make it any more bearable at first Mack had no idea where he was or how he had ended up in such a predicament he could barely keep track of who he was the drugs didn't help although he was grateful for the morphine taking the edge off his pain over the course of the next couple days his mind slowly cleared up and he began to get his voice back a steady parade of family and friends came by to wish a speedy recovery or perhaps glean a little information which wasn't forthcoming Josh and Kate were regulars sometimes doing homework while Max snoozed or answering his questions that for the first couple of days he asked again and again and again at some point Mack finally understood even though he had been told many times that he had been unconscious for almost four days after a terrible accident in Joseph Nan made it clear that he had a lot of explaining to do but was for the time being focused more on his recovery than her need for answers not that it mattered his memory was enough fog and though he could remember bits and pieces he couldn't pull them together to make any sense he vaguely remembered the drive to the shack but things got sketchy beyond that in his dreams the images of Papa Jesus Missy playing by the lake Sophia in the cave and the light and color of the festival in the meadow came back to him like shards from a broken mirror each was accompanied by waves of delight and joy but he wasn't sure if they were real or a hallucination conjured up by collisions between some damaged or otherwise Wayward neurons and the drugs coursing through his veins on the third afternoon after he regained consciousness he awoke to find Willie staring down at him looking rather grumpy you idiot nice to see you too Willy where'd you learn to drive anyway oh yeah I remember Farm Boy not used to intersections Mack from what I heard you should have been able to smell that other guy's breath a mile away immaculae there watching his friend ramble on trying to listen and comprehend every word which he didn't and now Nan's mad as a hornet and won't talk to me she blames me for loaning you my cheap and letting you go to the shack Max struggled to collect his thoughts so why did I go to the shack everything is fuzzy willy-growned in desperation you have to tell her I tried to talk you out of it you did don't do this to me mac I tried to tell you Max smiled does he Listen to Willie rant if he had few other memories he did remember this man cared about him and just having him near him made him smile Mac was suddenly startled to realize that Willie had leaned down very close to his face seriously was he there he quickly looked around to make sure no one was in earshot who and why are we Whispering you know God was he at the shack Mack was amused Willie it's not a secret God is everywhere so I was at the shack I know that you pee brain don't you remember anything you mean you don't even remember the note you know the one you got from Papa that was in your mailbox when you slipped on the ice and banged yourself up that's when the penny dropped and the disjointed story began to crystallize in Max mind everything suddenly made sense as his mind began connecting the dots and filling in the details the note the Jeep the gun the trip to the shack and every facet of that glorious weekend the images and memories began to flood back so powerfully that he felt like they might pick him up and sweep him off his bed and out of this world and as he remembered began to cry until tears were rolling down his cheeks Willy was now begging and apologetic or Mac I'm sorry what did I say mac reached up and touched his friend's face nothing Willie I remember everything now the note Missy I remember everything Willie didn't move not sure what to think or say he was afraid that he had pushed his friend over the edge the way he was rambling on about the shack and Papa and Missy so are you telling me that he was there God I mean and now Mack was laughing and crying Willie he was there he was there wait till I tell you you'll never believe it man I'm not sure I do either Max stopped lost in his memories for a moment oh yeah he told me to tell you something what me Mac watched his concern and doubt traded places on Willy's face so what did he say Mac paused grasping for the words he said tell Willy that I'm especially fond of him Max stopped and watched his friend's face and jaw Titan and puddles of Tears fill his eyes his lips and Chin quivered and Mac knew his friend was fighting hard for control I gotta go you have to tell me all about it later and with that Willie simply turned and left the room leaving Mack to wonder and remember when Nan next came in she found Mac propped up in bed and grinning from ear to ear he didn't know where to begin so he let her talk first she filled him in on some of the details he was still confused about delighted that he was finally able to retain the information he had been almost killed by a drunk driver and had undergone emergency surgery for various broken bones and internal injuries there had been a great deal of concern that he might lapse into a long-term coma but his Awakening had alleviated all the worry as she talked Mack thought it indeed strange that he would get in an accident right after spending a weekend with God the seeming random chaos of life wasn't that how Papa put it then he heard Nan say the accident had happened on Friday night don't you mean Sunday don't you think I'd know what night it was it was Friday night when they flew you in here her words confused him and for a moment he wondered at the events that the shack had been a dream after all perhaps it was one of those sarayu Time Warp displacement thingies he assured himself when Nan finished recounting her side of the events Mack began telling her all that had happened to him first he asked for her forgiveness confessing how and why he had lied to her the surprise Nan and she credited his new transparency to the trauma and morphe the full story of his weekend or day as Nan kept reminding him unfolded slowly spread over a number of different tellings sometimes the drugs would get the better of him and he would slip off to dreamless sleep occasionally mid-sentence initially Nan focused on being patient and attentive trying as best she could to suspend judgment but not seriously considering that his ravings were anything but remnants of neurological damage but the vividness and depth of his memories touched her and slowly undermined or resolve to stay objective there was life in what he was telling her and she quickly understood that whatever had happened had greatly impacted and changed her husband her skepticism eroded to the point where she agreed to find a way for her and Mack to have some time alone with Kate Mack would not tell her why and that made her nervous but she was willing to trust him in the matter Josh was sent on an errand leaving just the three of them Mack reached out his hand and Kate took it Kate I want you to know that I love you with all my heart I love you too Daddy seeing him like this had evidently softened her a little he smiled and then grew serious again still holding on to her hand I want to talk to you about Missy Kate jerked back as if stung by a yellow jacket her face turning dark instinctively she tried to pull her hand away but Mac held tight which took a considerable portion of his strength she glanced around Nan came up and put her arm around her Kate was trembling why Katie it wasn't your fault now she hesitated almost as if she had been caught with a secret what's not my fault again it took effort to get the words out but she clearly heard that we lost Missy tears rolled down his cheeks as he struggled with those simple words again she recoiled turning away from him honey no one blames you for what happened her silence lasted only a few seconds longer before the dam burst but if I hadn't been careless in the canoe you wouldn't have had to her voice filled with self-loathing Mack interrupted with a hand on her arm that's what I'm trying to tell you honey it's not your fault Kate Saab is her father's words penetrated her War ravaged heart but I've always thought it was my fault and I thought you and Mom blamed me and I didn't mean to none of us meant for this to happen Kate just happened and we'll learn to live through it but we'll learn together okay Kate had no idea how to respond overwhelmed and sobbing she broke free from her father's hand and rushed out of the room man with tears trailing down her cheeks gave Maca helpless but encouraging look and quickly left in pursuit of her daughter the next time Mac awoke Kate was lying asleep next to him on the bed snuggled up and safe evidently Nan had been able to help Kate work through some of her pain when Nan noticed that his eyes had opened she quietly approached so as not to wake their daughter and kissed him I believe you he nodded and smiled surprised by how important that was to hear it was probably the drugs that were making him so emotional he thought Mac improved rapidly over the next few weeks barely a month after he was discharged from the hospital he and Nan called Joseph's newly appointed deputy sheriff Tommy Dalton to talk to him about the possibility of a hike back into the area Beyond The Shack since everything at the shack had reverted back to its original desolation Mac had begun to wonder if Missy's body might still be in the cave it could be tricky explaining to law enforcement how he knew where his daughter's body was hidden but Mack was confident that one friend would give him the benefit of the doubt regardless of what happened Tommy was indeed gracious even after hearing the story of Max weekend which he chalked up to the dreams and nightmares of a still grieving father he agreed to go back up to the shack he wanted to see Mac anyway personal items have been salvaged from the wreckage of Willie's Jeep and returning them was as good an excuse as any to spend some time together so on a clear crisp Saturday morning in early November Willie drove Mac and Nan to Joseph in his new used SUV where they met Tommy and together the four headed into the reserve Tommy was surprised to watch Mack walk past the shack and up to a tree near a trailhead just as he had explained to them on the drive up Mack found and pointed to a red ark at the base of the tree still walking with a slight limp he led them on a two-hour hike Into the Wilderness Nan said not a word but her face clearly revealed the intensity of emotions that she battled with each step along the way they continued to find the same red ark etched into trees and onto Rock Faces by the time they arrived at a wide expanse of Boulders Tommy was becoming convinced perhaps not in the veracity of Max Wilde's story but that they were surely following a carefully marked Trail one that could possibly have been left by Missy's killer without hesitation Mac turned directly into the Maze of rocks and Mountain walls they probably would never have found the exact spot if it hadn't been for Papa sitting at the top of a pile of stones in front of the cave was the rock with the red marking turned outward to realize what Papa had done made mac almost laugh out loud but they did find it and when Tommy was fully convinced of what they were opening up he made them stop Mack understood why it was important and though a little grudgingly agreed that they should reseal the cave to protect it they would return to Joseph where Tommy could notify forensic Specialists and the proper law enforcement agencies on the trip down Tommy again listened to Mack's story this time with a new openness he also took the opportunity to coach his friend on the best ways to handle the grilling he would be soon getting even though Max Alibi was Flawless there would still be serious questions the following day experts descended like buzzards recovering Missy's remains and bagging the sheet along with whatever else they could find it took only weeks after that to glean enough evidence to track down and arrest the little lady killer learning from the clues the man had left himself to find Missy's cave authorities were able to locate and recover the bodies of the other little girls he had murdered afterwards well there you have it at least as it was told to me I'm sure there will be some who wonder whether everything really happened as Mac recalls it or if the accident and morphine made him just a little bit loopy as for Mac he continues to live his normal productive life and remains adamant that every word of the story is true all the changes in his life he tells me are enough evidence for him the great sadness is gone and he experiences most days with a profound sense of joy so the question I am faced with as I append these words is how to end a tale like this perhaps I can do that best by telling you a little about how it has affected me as I stated in the forward Mac's story changed me I don't think there is one aspect of my life especially my relationships that hasn't been touched deeply and altered in ways that truly matter do I think that it's true I want all of it to be true perhaps if some of it is not actually true in one sense it is still true nonetheless if you know what I mean I guess you and Sarah you will have to figure that one out and Mac well he's a human being that continues through a process of change like the rest of us only he welcomes it while I intend to resist it I have noticed that he loves larger than most he's quick to forgive and even quicker to ask for forgiveness the transformations in him have caused quite a ripple through his community of relationships and not all of them easy but I have to tell you that I have never been around another adult who lives life with such Simplicity and joy somehow he has become a child again or maybe more accurately he's become the child he never was allowed to be abiding in simple trust and wonder he Embraces even the darker shades of life as part of some incredibly rich and profound tapestry crafted masterfully by invisible hands of love as I write this Mac is testifying at the lady killer trial he had hoped to visit with the accused but has not yet been granted permission but he's determined to see him even if it happens long after the verdict is rendered if you ever get a chance to hang out with Mac you will soon learn that he's hoping for a new Revolution one of love and kindness a revolution that revolves around Jesus and what he did for us all and what he continues to do in anyone who has hunger for reconciliation and a place to call home this is not a revolution that will overthrow anything or if it does it will do so in ways we could never contrive in advance instead it will be the quiet daily powers of dying and serving and loving and laughing a simple tenderness and unseen kindness because if anything matters then everything matters and one day when all is revealed every one of us will bow our knee and confess in the power of Sorrow you that Jesus is the Lord of all creation to the glory of Papa oh one last note I'm convinced that Mac and Nan still go up there sometimes to the shack you know just to be alone it wouldn't surprise me if he walks out to that old dock takes off his shoes and socks and you know puts his feet on the water just to see if well you know Willy