Meaning in Pain

“I finally figured out that I had a choice:  I could suffer a great deal, or not, or for a long time.  Or I could have the combo platter:  suffer, breathe, pray, play, cry, and try to help people.  There was meaning in pain; it taught you how to survive with a modicum of grace when you did not get what you wanted.”

–Anne Lamott, Grace (Eventually):  Thoughts on Faith

Brokenness

“It really is easier to experience spiritual connection when your life is in the process of coming apart.  When things break up and fences fall over, desperation and powerlessness slink in, which turns out to be good:  humility and sweetness often arrive in your garden not long after.”

–Anne Lamott, Grace (Eventually):  Thoughts on Faith

Wise and Funny Anne Lamott

“But I actually knew a few true things:  I had figured out that truth and freedom were pretty much the same.  And that almost everyone was struggling to wake up, to be loved, and not feel so afraid all the time.  That’s what the cars, degrees, booze, and drugs were about.”

–Anne Lamott, Grace (Eventually):  Thoughts on Faith