Paul Young (The Shack) and I Discuss, "Is God Good?"

Children often ask the best questions. When only 9-years-old, our oldest son asked me, "How can I trust God to care about my hurts when I see what He allows Mom to go through?" For a lifetime, Paul Young wrestled with that kind of question and more. That journey led him to write the hugely popular book, "THE SHACK." The question "is God Good?" serves as the centerpiece for nearly everything he does in his writing and speaking.  That's why I invited him to call the show and talk about this ...as the world tries to wrap it's collective mind around the concept of a good and loving God in the midst of the COVID-19 virus.  At the end of the interview, Paul quoted this poem and we felt the whole poem should be included in this podcast.   Healthy Caregivers Make Better Caregivers, and part of being healthy is trusting the goodness of God...even when faced with heartbreaking loss and challenges.   'Kind of Way' April 2019 www.davidtensen.com   I know that you know. So I should probably confess it. Not because it's a bad thing. But because it's normal and necessary to admit you've disappointed me and continue to. Although I don't mind as much now.   Still, there were many times I prayed. Followed the rules. Gave my two mites. Did all the things I was told would work and others certified with charismatic conviction to do more give more faith more sacrifice more lots more.   But still, nothing. No breakthrough like I believed like I prayed for.   I underestimated you. I wanted to believe you were containable constrainable and reliable in the 'my way' kind of way. The magician hitman slot machine deal maker earth shaker genie-in-a-bottle kind of way.   Then I recalled that on a dark but necessary day you took yourself and my kind of way and the cosmos to a cross.   Then you went missing for three days. And my world fell apart.   All my hope exhaled a forsaken surrender, and my heart broke and my dreams broke. My kind of way kind of died again.   And there you were alive and the same but not really. A resurrected form of you that even took familiar friends by surprise.   And that's what you keep doing. To this day you keep failing and disappointing me in the best kind of ways.   Every time I think I've got you where I think I need you you disappoint and disappear and turn up incognito on a familiar path at a regular meal in an average garden with a spark in your eye that demands my attention. You invite me again to put my hand in your side embrace you and kiss you and get to know you again in a new kind of way.