--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A nun I know once told me she kept…" description: "\"A nun I know once told me she kept begging God to take her character defects away from her. After years of this prayer, God finally got back to her: I'..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcb/anne-lamott-188_away-from-you_a-nun-i-know-once-told-me-she-kept-beggi_671416.png" --- # A nun I know once told me she kept begging God to take her… ![“A nun I know once told me she kept begging God to take her character defects away from her. After years of this prayer, God finally got back to her: I'm not going to take anything away from you, you have to give it to Me.” quote by Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcb/anne-lamott-188_away-from-you_a-nun-i-know-once-told-me-she-kept-beggi_671416.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcb/anne-lamott-188_away-from-you_a-nun-i-know-once-told-me-she-kept-beggi_671416.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcb/anne-lamott-188_away-from-you_a-nun-i-know-once-told-me-she-kept-beggi_671416.png) > “A nun I know once told me she kept begging God to take her character defects away from her. After years of this prayer, God finally got back to her: I'm not going to take anything away from you, you have to give it to Me.” [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A nun learns that divine forgiveness requires personal surrender, not removal of flaws by **In simple terms:** God asks us to give our flaws to Him Key Takeaway Surrender personal flaws to divine grace Themes faith humility spiritual growth Mood contemplative hopeful Type spiritual inspirational When to use this quote - spiritual counseling - personal confession - religious study Key Concepts divine reciprocity self‑sacrifice prayer dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How do you respond when asked to give up something you cherish? - What does surrender mean to you in practice? A Different Perspective God may not erase flaws but transform them; surrender can be painful ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Away from you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/away-from-you/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Defects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defects/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Nun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nun/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) ## Related quotes > [The reason 'help' is such a great prayer is that God is the gift of desperation. When you're in despair, you're teachable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/the-reason-help-is-such-a-great-prayer-is-that-god-is-the-gift-of/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“He kept begging God, “Please, please, please open my heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/he-kept-begging-god-please-please-please-open-my-heart/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [It is useless for large companies of believers to spend long hours begging God to send revival. Unless we intend to reform we may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/it-is-useless-for-large-companies-of-believers-to-spend-long-hours/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [Praying, is recognizing yourself to be that which you desire to be, rather than begging God for that which you desire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neville-goddard/praying-is-recognizing-yourself-to-be-that-which-you-desire-to-be/) [Neville Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neville-goddard/) > [Somebody is n the hospital begging God for the opportunity u have right now. Step into your moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-d-jakes/somebody-is-n-the-hospital-begging-god-for-the-opportunity-u-have/) [T. D. Jakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-d-jakes/) > [“I’ve heard people using your songs as prayer, begging god in falsetto.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warsan-shire/i-ve-heard-people-using-your-songs-as-prayer-begging-god-in-falsetto/) [Warsan Shire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warsan-shire/) > [Beware of begging God for things you don't have to have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-macdonald/beware-of-begging-god-for-things-you-don-t-have-to-have/) [James MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-macdonald/) > [I don't pray. When I was young, I vowed I never would be caught begging God. If I want something I get it for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/i-don-t-pray-when-i-was-young-i-vowed-i-never-would-be-caught-begging/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [Do you know what prayer is? It is not begging God for this and that. The first thing we have to do is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-g-lake/do-you-know-what-prayer-is-it-is-not-begging-god-for-this-and-that/) [John G. Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-g-lake/) > [I don't believe in God, in prayer, in going to temples begging God to give me and my family happiness. I am not asking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suhasini-maniratnam/i-don-t-believe-in-god-in-prayer-in-going-to-temples-begging-god-to/) [Suhasini Maniratnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suhasini-maniratnam/) > [“Stop begging God to increase your territory when you can't even maintain the territory you already have. Work with what you got first.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nakia-r-laushaul/stop-begging-god-to-increase-your-territory-when-you-can-t-even/) [Nakia R. Laushaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nakia-r-laushaul/) > [I knew you could find a certain relief in begging God, it had helped me, but on the other hand, God never answered directly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darcey-steinke/i-knew-you-could-find-a-certain-relief-in-begging-god-it-had-helped/) [Darcey Steinke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darcey-steinke/) > [“I did not beg him to stay because I was begging God that he would not leave.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warsan-shire/i-did-not-beg-him-to-stay-because-i-was-begging-god-that-he-would-not/) [Warsan Shire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warsan-shire/) > [Just having conversations with God, begging God to make the pain go away, and then the pain wouldn't go away. So I'm like 'Who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prodigy/just-having-conversations-with-god-begging-god-to-make-the-pain-go/) [Prodigy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prodigy/) > [“We don’t have to keep begging God for more; we just need to cooperate with him to release the power and fruit of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stovall-weems/we-don-t-have-to-keep-begging-god-for-more-we-just-need-to-cooperate/) [Stovall Weems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stovall-weems/) ## More by Anne Lamott > [What an incredible drug fear is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/what-an-incredible-drug-fear-is/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [I guess he'll have to figure out someday that he is supposed to have this dark side, that it is part of what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-guess-he-ll-have-to-figure-out-someday-that-he-is-supposed-to-have/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [It's funny where we look for salvation, and where we actually find it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/it-s-funny-where-we-look-for-salvation-and-where-we-actually-find-it/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Why couldn't Jesus command us to obsess over everything, to try to control and manipulate people, to try not to breathe at all, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/why-couldn-t-jesus-command-us-to-obsess-over-everything-to-try-to/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Publication is not all that it is cracked up to be. But writing is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/publication-is-not-all-that-it-is-cracked-up-to-be-but-writing-is/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Your problem is how you are going to spend this one odd and precious life you have been issued. Whether you're going to spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/your-problem-is-how-you-are-going-to-spend-this-one-odd-and-precious/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [And yet, I do believe there is ultimately meaning in the chaos, and also in the doldrums. What I resist is not the truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/and-yet-i-do-believe-there-is-ultimately-meaning-in-the-chaos-and/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Raising a child, whether or not it is yours, is like Nautilus of the heart and soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/raising-a-child-whether-or-not-it-is-yours-is-like-nautilus-of-the/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“I heard a preacher say recently that hope is a revolutionary patience; let me add that so is being a writer. Hope begins in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-heard-a-preacher-say-recently-that-hope-is-a-revolutionary-patience/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“I think perfectionism is based on the obsessive belief that if you run carefully enough, hitting each stepping-stone just right, you won't have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-think-perfectionism-is-based-on-the-obsessive-belief-that-if-you/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [All criticism hurts me. I'm so in the wrong business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/all-criticism-hurts-me-i-m-so-in-the-wrong-business/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [We are going to die, as is everyone we adore - I hate this! But the question is, how do we live as women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/we-are-going-to-die-as-is-everyone-we-adore-i-hate-this-but-the/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“You will go through your life thinking there was a day in second grade that you must have missed, when the grown-ups came in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/you-will-go-through-your-life-thinking-there-was-a-day-in-second/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“You begin to string words together like beads to tell a story. You are desperate to communicate, to edify or entertain, to preserve moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/you-begin-to-string-words-together-like-beads-to-tell-a-story-you-are/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“You lose the known package of your nice organized self almost instantly here. Overeating is one way back, the way it is at funerals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/you-lose-the-known-package-of-your-nice-organized-self-almost/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) [Explore all 976 Anne Lamott quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) ## More Away from you quotes > [But one of the things I learned is that when you fight for something you believe in and you tell the truth and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-kerry/but-one-of-the-things-i-learned-is-that-when-you-fight-for-something/) [Vanessa Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-kerry/) > [Read. Always read. No one can take that away from you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percival-everett/read-always-read-no-one-can-take-that-away-from-you/) [Percival Everett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percival-everett/) > [The world for which you have been so carefully prepared is being taken away from you, by the grace of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-brueggemann/the-world-for-which-you-have-been-so-carefully-prepared-is-being/) [Walter Brueggemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-brueggemann/) > [The label of 'marathoner' has, from the beginning, been awarded to those who went the distance under their own power, whether they ran, walked,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-galloway/the-label-of-marathoner-has-from-the-beginning-been-awarded-to-those/) [Jeff Galloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-galloway/) > [You're killing yourself with cynicism. Your idols got taken away from you one by one and now you have nothing to give your love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/you-re-killing-yourself-with-cynicism-your-idols-got-taken-away-from/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [Is driving a right? You are entitled to a driving license if you can abide by the traffic laws and drive responsibly. If your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-sina/is-driving-a-right-you-are-entitled-to-a-driving-license-if-you-can/) [Ali Sina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-sina/) > [If, when you talk to people, they keep backing away from you, it's because you're TOO CLOSE, alright? SO DON'T KEEP ADVANCING ON THEM…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/if-when-you-talk-to-people-they-keep-backing-away-from-you-it-s/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [Because you don't learn anything unless you can find the patience to read. TV takes that away from you. It robs you from your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/because-you-don-t-learn-anything-unless-you-can-find-the-patience-to/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [His lessons were chock-full of analogies for a variety of musical situations. Those little things were my favorites. 'No . . . that's too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-laureano/his-lessons-were-chock-full-of-analogies-for-a-variety-of-musical/) Manny Laureano > [Love leaves a memory nobody can take away from you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-campbell/love-leaves-a-memory-nobody-can-take-away-from-you/) [Danielle Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-campbell/) > [Roads taken far away from you are many. Do not fear, Mother; they all lead back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-levine/roads-taken-far-away-from-you-are-many-do-not-fear-mother-they-all/) [Adam Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-levine/) > [If you feel inside you are a woman, be a woman - no one can take that away from you, man. No one can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-davis/if-you-feel-inside-you-are-a-woman-be-a-woman-no-one-can-take-that/) [Jonathan Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-davis/) > [The little boy had wandered away from his mother, tacking across the grass toward the play structure. His mother watched him go, proud, tickled,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/the-little-boy-had-wandered-away-from-his-mother-tacking-across-the/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [What you want most you push away from you. You want more than you care to admit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarjei-vesaas/what-you-want-most-you-push-away-from-you-you-want-more-than-you-care/) [Tarjei Vesaas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarjei-vesaas/) > [Once you're a mom, whether you're kids are next to you or far away from you, you're always a mom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-paradis/once-you-re-a-mom-whether-you-re-kids-are-next-to-you-or-far-away/) [Vanessa Paradis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-paradis/) [Browse all 243 Away from you quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/away-from-you/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A nun I know once told me she kept begging God to take her character defects away from her. After years of this prayer, God finally got back to her: I'm not going to take anything away from you, you have to give it to Me.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anne Lamott" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/a-nun-i-know-once-told-me-she-kept-begging-god-to-take-her-character/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Away from you" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/a-nun-i-know-once-told-me-she-kept-begging-god-to-take-her-character/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcb/anne-lamott-188_away-from-you_a-nun-i-know-once-told-me-she-kept-beggi_671416.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcb/anne-lamott-188_away-from-you_a-nun-i-know-once-told-me-she-kept-beggi_671416.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcb/anne-lamott-188_away-from-you_a-nun-i-know-once-told-me-she-kept-beggi_671416.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A nun I know once told me she kept begging God to take her character defects away from her. After years of…” — Anne Lamott", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Anne Lamott", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A nun I know once told...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/a-nun-i-know-once-told-me-she-kept-begging-god-to-take-her-character/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/a-nun-i-know-once-told-me-she-kept-begging-god-to-take-her-character/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```