That is the title of Anne Lamott's newest book. I've placed a hold on it but as I'm the twelfth person it'll be a few weeks until I have it to read. I like the idea of the God's "in box". When she is concerned or worried or fearful, Anne writes these things down on a piece of paper, folds it up, places it in God’s in box, and tries to not do anything about it until she hears from Him.It is doubt and surrender made visible, she says. It is also letting go of the notion that I have anything to add to God’s wisdom. This comforts me. I can only ask God to tell me the ways in which I need to repent, and ask for grace and reconciliation concerning everything else.
In an essay on helping to raise funds to prevent the closings of libraries, she writes a couple great sentences on the importance of books and reading.
"We came together because we started out as children who were saved by stories, stories read to us at night when we were little, stories we read by ourselves, in which we could get lost and thereby found.
If you are mesmerized by televised stupidity, and don’t get to hear or read stories about your world, you can be fooled into thinking that the world isn’t miraculous – and it is.
Reading and books are medicine. Stories are written and told by and for people who have been broken, but who have risen up, or will rise, if attention is paid to them. Those people are you and us. Stories and truth are splints for the soul, and that makes today a sacred gathering. Now we were all saying: Pass it on."
I don't always agree with Anne. Sometimes I disagree passionately. Many times I agree passionately. But that's what she's all about. Passion about life.
Here's a link to an interview if you want to read more about her.
