Paul Young wrote The Shack as a Christmas gift for his six kids. He photocopied 15 copies at Office Depot. It went on to sell 25+ million.
But the story behind the story is harder than the fairy tale suggests: a missionary kid raised by an abusive father, sexual abuse starting at age five, and a three-month affair that nearly ended his marriage. What followed was an 11-year rebuild — the ground The Shack was written from.

In this conversation, Paul opens up about:
– The real origin of The Shack (and how it accidentally became a global phenomenon)
– Why forgiveness doesn't require trust — and why that distinction matters
– His 9+ year friendship with men on death row, and what "proximity changes everything" really means
– Making peace with his father at 80, and the two photo albums we all keep inside
– Living in the present moment as the only real world
– Return to the Shack, releasing October 6

Paul's honesty about grief, healing, and what it means to be human is worth sitting with.

Follow the show and let us know what landed.

Timestamps
01:06 Meeting Paul Young
01:49 The affair that changed everything
04:37 Writing The Shack as a Christmas gift
09:02 From 15 copies to a phenomenon
16:30 Barnes & Noble comes knocking
20:29 Why forgiveness became his message
23:30 Releasing his father from expectations
28:48 Friendship with men on death row
36:47 "Proximity changes everything"
41:23 Being present as the only real world
47:20 What awestruck by Jesus looks like
55:15 Grief, healing, and not building identity on pain

Paul Young wrote The Shack as a Christmas gift for his six kids. He photocopied 15 copies at Office Depot. It went on to sell 25+ million. But the story behind the story is harder than the fairy tale suggests: a missionary kid raised by an abusive father, sexual abuse starting at age five, and a three-month affair that nearly ended his marriage. What followed was an 11-year rebuild &mdash; the ground The Shack was written from.
In this conversation, Paul opens up about: &ndash; The real origin of The Shack (and how it accidentally became a global phenomenon) &ndash; Why forgiveness doesn't require trust &mdash; and why that distinction matters &ndash; His 9+ year friendship with men on death row, and what "proximity changes everything" really means &ndash; Making peace with his father at 80, and the two photo albums we all keep inside &ndash; Living in the present moment as the only real world &ndash; Return to the Shack, releasing October 6
Paul's honesty about grief, healing, and what it means to be human is worth sitting with.
Follow the show and let us know what landed.
Timestamps 01:06 Meeting Paul Young 01:49 The affair that changed everything 04:37 Writing The Shack as a Christmas gift 09:02 From 15 copies to a phenomenon 16:30 Barnes &amp; Noble comes knocking 20:29 Why forgiveness became his message 23:30 Releasing his father from expectations 28:48 Friendship with men on death row 36:47 "Proximity changes everything" 41:23 Being present as the only real world 47:20 What awestruck by Jesus looks like 55:15 Grief, healing, and not building identity on pain

We’re all looking for something.

 

In If You Can Hear Me, Ben Higgins sits down with people from all walks of life—celebrities, thinkers, everyday folks—to talk about what drives us, what shapes us, and what gives us hope.

 

These are honest conversations about the big stuff: identity, loss, purpose, peace, faith, and everything in between. Some guests have answers. Most are still figuring it out.

 

If you’ve ever felt like there must be more to the story—this show is for you.

We&rsquo;re all looking for something.
&nbsp;
In If You Can Hear Me, Ben Higgins sits down with people from all walks of life&mdash;celebrities, thinkers, everyday folks&mdash;to talk about what drives us, what shapes us, and what gives us hope.
&nbsp;
These are honest conversations about the big stuff: identity, loss, purpose, peace, faith, and everything in between. Some guests have answers. Most are still figuring it out.
&nbsp;
If you&rsquo;ve ever felt like there must be more to the story&mdash;this show is for you.

If You Can Hear Me

Paul Young on Grieving Well, Trusting Slowly, and the Photo Album We Keep

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/ecfde540-8973-4dc0-b579-b4d401407f1d/transcript