New York Times best-selling author of “The Shack,” William Paul Young shares his inspiration behind the book and how it has allowed people to see their relationship with God in a new way. “The Shack” was initially written as a Christmas gift to his children on the train commuting to one of his three jobs, with no intention of publishing it. The book’s success led to a motion picture starring Sam Worthington, Octavia Spencer and Tim McGraw. However, the author’s journey to success was riddled with a lifetime of sadness and mistakes. A victim of sexual abuse as a child, Paul says his quest for unconditional love drove him to have an affair that nearly tore his family apart. “I didn’t confess… I got caught,” Paul says of the destructive affair, a moment of exposure that served as a wake-up call for the husband and father of six. Paul says the biggest gift “The Shack” has given him is an invitation to hear other people’s stories. Paul also discusses his thought-provoking and controversial book, “Lies We Believe About God.”
