--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: God in heaven holds each person by a…" description: "\"God in heaven holds each person by a string. When you sin, you cut the string. Then God ties it up again. Making a knot, bringing you a little closer t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee8/anthony-de-mello-1331_again-and-again_god-in-heaven-holds-each-person-by-a-str_2581583.jpg" --- # God in heaven holds each person by a string. When you sin… ![“God in heaven holds each person by a string. When you sin, you cut the string. Then God ties it up again. Making a knot, bringing you a little closer to Him. Again and again your sins cut the string and with each knot God keeps drawing you closer and closer.” quote by Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee8/anthony-de-mello-1331_again-and-again_god-in-heaven-holds-each-person-by-a-str_2581583.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee8/anthony-de-mello-1331_again-and-again_god-in-heaven-holds-each-person-by-a-str_2581583.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee8/anthony-de-mello-1331_again-and-again_god-in-heaven-holds-each-person-by-a-str_2581583.jpg) > “God in heaven holds each person by a string. When you sin, you cut the string. Then God ties it up again. Making a knot, bringing you a little closer to Him. Again and again your sins cut the string and with each knot God keeps drawing you closer and closer.” [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Sin creates distance, but each transgression also draws one closer to the divine through repentance. **In simple terms:** Mistakes pull you away but also bring you nearer to God. Key Takeaway Embrace repentance as a path to closeness. Themes spirituality redemption growth Mood reflective hopeful Type spiritual philosophical When to use this quote - personal failings - spiritual practice - self‑reflection Key Concepts divine intimacy knot metaphor Questions to Reflect On - What does each “knot” symbolize for you? - How does this view affect your handling of guilt? A Different Perspective The metaphor may oversimplify complex theology. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Heaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heaven/) [Sin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sin/) [Ties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ties/) ## Related quotes > [“When we fail, we cut the string. Then God ties it up again, making a knot and thereby bringing us a little closer to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-a-hersh/when-we-fail-we-cut-the-string-then-god-ties-it-up-again-making-a/) Sharon A. Hersh > [“One of the disconcerting and delightful teaching of the master was: "God is closer to sinners than to saints." This is how he explained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-kurtz/one-of-the-disconcerting-and-delightful-teaching-of-the-master-was/) [Ernest Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-kurtz/) > [God holds each of us by a string. When we sin, we cut the string. But God ties it up again, making a knot.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meister-eckhart/god-holds-each-of-us-by-a-string-when-we-sin-we-cut-the-string-but/) [Meister Eckhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meister-eckhart/) > [“People already have a desire for the things Heaven holds. We simply need to see that these things are not just some fanciful dream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vance-c-kessler/people-already-have-a-desire-for-the-things-heaven-holds-we-simply/) [Vance C. Kessler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vance-c-kessler/) > [“I hold in my arms a moving heaven, who holds within her all of my hope and all of my happiness. Safely enshrined within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sparrow-ausoleil/i-hold-in-my-arms-a-moving-heaven-who-holds-within-her-all-of-my-hope/) [Sparrow AuSoleil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sparrow-ausoleil/) > [“When you make the dream of your heart a treasure of heaven, it holds an eternal value.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-brodie/when-you-make-the-dream-of-your-heart-a-treasure-of-heaven-it-holds/) [Deborah Brodie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-brodie/) > [It was like looking at a knot, knowing it was a knot, but not knowing how to untie it. I had no map for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/it-was-like-looking-at-a-knot-knowing-it-was-a-knot-but-not-knowing/) [Laurie Halse Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-halse-anderson/) > [If you can describe clearly without a diagram the proper way of making this or that knot, then you are a master of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilaire-belloc/if-you-can-describe-clearly-without-a-diagram-the-proper-way-of/) [Hilaire Belloc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilaire-belloc/) > [Drama, instead of telling us the whole of a man's life, must place him in such a situation, tie such a knot, that when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/drama-instead-of-telling-us-the-whole-of-a-man-s-life-must-place-him/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [I started making monkey bridges, like kids do, and climbing and rappelling with ropes. Very naturally, I needed some knots. At the very beginning,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-petit/i-started-making-monkey-bridges-like-kids-do-and-climbing-and/) [Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/) > [the relationship between people knot so easily, there needs to be a person skilled at working free the threads. Sometimes, though, the only way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/the-relationship-between-people-knot-so-easily-there-needs-to-be-a/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [When I was little, my friends would gush over wedding gowns and honeymoons. But I saw too many people flush decades together down the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/when-i-was-little-my-friends-would-gush-over-wedding-gowns-and/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [A man must be able to cut a knot, for everything cannot be untied; he must know how to disengage what is essential from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/a-man-must-be-able-to-cut-a-knot-for-everything-cannot-be-untied-he/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [Victory won't come to me unless I go to it; a grape tendril ties a knot in knots till knotted thirty times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-moore/victory-won-t-come-to-me-unless-i-go-to-it-a-grape-tendril-ties-a/) [Marianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-moore/) > [“Much as it took Lucas to revolutionize the search for Mersennes primes and Lord Kelvin to introduce new ways to look for space-filling-shapes, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-parker/much-as-it-took-lucas-to-revolutionize-the-search-for-mersennes/) [Matt Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-parker/) ## More by Anthony de Mello > [The poor think they will be happy when they become rich. The rich think they will be happy when they are rid of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/the-poor-think-they-will-be-happy-when-they-become-rich-the-rich/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [You only change what you understand. What you do not understand and are not aware of, you repress. You dont change. But when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/you-only-change-what-you-understand-what-you-do-not-understand-and/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [A zealous disciple expressed a desire to teach others the Truth and asked the Master what he thought about this. The Master said, "Wait."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/a-zealous-disciple-expressed-a-desire-to-teach-others-the-truth-and/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [As the Arabs say, "The nature of rain is the same, but it makes thorns grow in the marshes and flowers in the gardens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/as-the-arabs-say-the-nature-of-rain-is-the-same-but-it-makes-thorns/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [Sinners often speak the truth. And saints have led people astray. Examine what is said, not the one who says it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/sinners-often-speak-the-truth-and-saints-have-led-people-astray/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [Isn't there such a thing as social liberation?" "Of course there is," said the Master. "How would you describe it?" "Liberation from the need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/isn-t-there-such-a-thing-as-social-liberation-of-course-there-is-said/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [The important thing is not to know who "I" is or what "I" is. You'll never succeed. There are no words for it. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/the-important-thing-is-not-to-know-who-i-is-or-what-i-is-you-ll-never/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [And increasingly - you know this and so do I we're losing the youth everywhere. They hate us; they are not interested in having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/and-increasingly-you-know-this-and-so-do-i-we-re-losing-the-youth/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [Spirituality practiced in the state of activity is incomparably superior to that practiced in a state of withdrawel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/spirituality-practiced-in-the-state-of-activity-is-incomparably/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [You know, all mystics - Catholic, Christian, non-Christian, no matter what their theology, no matter what their religion - are unanimous on one thing:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/you-know-all-mystics-catholic-christian-non-christian-no-matter-what/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [There were rules in the monastery, but the Master always warned against the tyranny of the law. 'Obedience keeps the rules,' he would say.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/there-were-rules-in-the-monastery-but-the-master-always-warned/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [A disciple, in his reverence for the Master, looked upon him as God incarnate. "Tell me, O Master," he said, "why you have come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/a-disciple-in-his-reverence-for-the-master-looked-upon-him-as-god/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [“And how about you? Do you want to understand and play the game of life or fool around with miracles?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/and-how-about-you-do-you-want-to-understand-and-play-the-game-of-life/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [You don't have to add anything in order to be happy; you've got to drop something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/you-don-t-have-to-add-anything-in-order-to-be-happy-you-ve-got-to/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [Rare indeed, is the relationship in which the other is not cultivated for what one can get for oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/rare-indeed-is-the-relationship-in-which-the-other-is-not-cultivated/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) [Explore all 253 Anthony de Mello quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) ## More Again and again quotes > [A human being can only absorb a small amount of the mystical kundalini, you can be exposed again and again to it, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/a-human-being-can-only-absorb-a-small-amount-of-the-mystical/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [As in any machine, all the wires must be connected to the mains through one main wire. 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