Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on FaithNATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the acclaimed author of Bird by Bird comes a personal, wise, very funny, and “life-affirming” book (People) that shows us how to find meaning and hope through shining the light of faith on the darkest part of ordinary life. "Anne Lamott is walking proof that a person can be both reverent and irreverent in the same lifetime. Sometimes even in the same breath." —San Francisco Chronicle Lamott claims the two best prayers she knows are: "Help me, help me, help me" and "Thank you, thank you, thank you." She has a friend whose morning prayer each day is "Whatever," and whose evening prayer is "Oh, well." Anne thinks of Jesus as "Casper the friendly savior" and describes God as "one crafty mother." Despite—or because of—her irreverence, faith is a natural subject for Anne Lamott. Since Operating Instructions and Bird by Bird, her fans have been waiting for her to write the book that explained how she came to the big-hearted, grateful, generous faith that she so often alluded to in her two earlier nonfiction books. The people in Anne Lamott's real life are like beloved characters in a favorite series for her readers—her friend Pammy, her son, Sam, and the many funny and wise folks who attend her church are all familiar. And Traveling Mercies is a welcome return to those lives, as well as an introduction to new companions Lamott treats with the same candor, insight, and tenderness. Lamott's faith isn't about easy answers, which is part of what endears her to believers as well as nonbelievers. Against all odds, she came to believe in God and then, even more miraculously, in herself. As she puts it, "My coming to faith did not start with a leap but rather a series of staggers." |
Contents
Lily Pads | 3 |
One MOUNTAIN VALLEY | 57 |
Two CHURCH PEOPLE STEEPLE | 89 |
Three TRIBE | 115 |
Four KIDS SOME SICK | 145 |
Five BODY AND SOUL | 169 |
The Mole | 177 |
Hunger | 190 |
The Aunties | 199 |
Six FAMBLY | 207 |
Seven SHORE AND GROUND | 245 |
Into Thin Mud | 257 |
Acknowledgments | 273 |
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Common terms and phrases
Akela ANNE LAMOTT ashes asked baby beach beautiful began believe breath brother butt called Cheetos Christian church Coleman Barks D. H. Lawrence dance dreadlocks drinking egrets eyes face father feel feet felt finally forgive friends Gary Snyder girl God's going Grace Grace Paley hair hand head heart inside Ixtapa Jesus Ken Nelson kids knew Langston Hughes later laugh listened live looked mole morning mother night Olivia Pammy Pammy's paraglide parents Peggy Fleming picked prayed Raymond Carver remember Sam's sand singing sitting sleep smell smiled someone sometimes started stay stop T. S. ELIOT talk tell things thought tiny told took trying voice W. S. Merwin walked wanted watching wearing week whispered woman women wonderful