--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Before the world was made, when it was…" description: "\"Before the world was made, when it was only darkness and mist and waters, God was well aware of Lake Wobegon, my family, our house, and He had me all s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/508/garrison-keillor-1037_bigs_before-the-world-was-made-when-it-was-on_32112.jpg" --- # Before the world was made, when it was only darkness and… ![“Before the world was made, when it was only darkness and mist and waters, God was well aware of Lake Wobegon, my family, our house, and He had me all sketched out down to what size my feet would be (big), which bike I would ride (Schwinn), and the five ears of corn I'd eat for supper that night.” quote by Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/508/garrison-keillor-1037_bigs_before-the-world-was-made-when-it-was-on_32112.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/508/garrison-keillor-1037_bigs_before-the-world-was-made-when-it-was-on_32112.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/508/garrison-keillor-1037_bigs_before-the-world-was-made-when-it-was-on_32112.jpg) > “Before the world was made, when it was only darkness and mist and waters, God was well aware of Lake Wobegon, my family, our house, and He had me all sketched out down to what size my feet would be (big), which bike I would ride (Schwinn), and the five ears of corn I'd eat for supper that night.” [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker imagines a divine pre‑knowledge of every personal detail, blending mythic creation with intimate, everyday specifics to illustrate a sense of predestined intimacy with the world. **In simple terms:** Divine pre‑knowing of personal minutiae. Key Takeaway Even the smallest details are imagined as pre‑written. Themes faith personal destiny humor mythic storytelling family nostalgia Mood wry playful reflective Type humorous philosophical narrative When to use this quote - reflecting on childhood memories - discussing belief in fate - writing a comedic monologue - exploring family narratives - contemplating life's randomness Key Concepts divine omniscience personal identity everyday life mythic metaphor Practical Applications - creative writing - personal storytelling Questions to Reflect On - How does imagining divine detail affect our sense of control? - What does this say about the interplay of myth and daily life? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aware Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aware-lake-429945/) [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Bike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bike/) [Corn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corn/) [Darkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darkness/) [Ears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ears/) [Feet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feet/) [Five](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [God Aware](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-aware-429942/) [House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/house/) [Lake wobegon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lake-wobegon/) [Lakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lakes/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Mist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mist/) [My family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-family/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Size](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/size/) [Supper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supper/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) [Waters God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waters-god-429943/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) [Wobegon Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wobegon-family-429944/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Would be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would-be/) ## Related quotes > [We have nearly complete misunderstanding between people of different faiths in Lake Wobegon, and that's probably one reason why we get along so very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/we-have-nearly-complete-misunderstanding-between-people-of-different/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [I write for a radio show that, no matter what, will go on the air Saturday at five o'clock central time. You learn to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/i-write-for-a-radio-show-that-no-matter-what-will-go-on-the-air/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [When the country goes temporarily to the dogs, cats must learn to be circumspect, walk on fences, sleep in trees, and have faith that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/when-the-country-goes-temporarily-to-the-dogs-cats-must-learn-to-be/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [Welcome to Lake Wobegon, where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/welcome-to-lake-wobegon-where-all-the-women-are-strong-all-the-men/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [In Lake Wobegon, we don't forget mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/in-lake-wobegon-we-don-t-forget-mistakes/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [Lake Wobegon, the little town that time forgot and the decades cannot improve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/lake-wobegon-the-little-town-that-time-forgot-and-the-decades-cannot/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [A boy wrote me once to say that he loved it when the news from Lake Wobegon came on the radio because it meant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/a-boy-wrote-me-once-to-say-that-he-loved-it-when-the-news-from-lake/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [The more I learn about God, the more aware I become of what I don’t know about him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul/the-more-i-learn-about-god-the-more-aware-i-become-of-what-i-don-t/) [R. C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/) > [When you have nothing left but God, you become aware that God is enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-have-nothing-left-but-god-you-become-aware-that-god-is-enough/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The acknowledgment that God is always with us - even when we are least aware of it in our sensory being - requires discipline.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leanne-payne/the-acknowledgment-that-god-is-always-with-us-even-when-we-are-least/) [Leanne Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leanne-payne/) > [For everything that happens to a Christian, God is aware.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-b-joshua/for-everything-that-happens-to-a-christian-god-is-aware/) [T. B. Joshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-b-joshua/) > [Knowledge of ourselves teaches us whence we come, where we are and whither we are going. We come from God and we are in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-of-ruysbroeck/knowledge-of-ourselves-teaches-us-whence-we-come-where-we-are-and/) [John of Ruysbroeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-of-ruysbroeck/) > [“God is aware of the hypocrisy in the hearts of men”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/god-is-aware-of-the-hypocrisy-in-the-hearts-of-men/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [The eye of perfected friendship with God is aware of deeper dimensions of reality, to which the eyes of the average man and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josef-pieper/the-eye-of-perfected-friendship-with-god-is-aware-of-deeper/) [Josef Pieper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josef-pieper/) > [Holiness is a disposition of the heart that makes us humble and little in the arms of God, aware of our weakness, and confident…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/therese-of-lisieux/holiness-is-a-disposition-of-the-heart-that-makes-us-humble-and/) [Therese of Lisieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/therese-of-lisieux/) ## More by Garrison Keillor > [God writes a lot of comedy... the trouble is, he's stuck with so many bad actors who don't know how to play funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/god-writes-a-lot-of-comedy-the-trouble-is-he-s-stuck-with-so-many-bad/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [The socially redeeming aspect of golf lies in the vast number of lawyers and bankers and managers who play it, and when you think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/the-socially-redeeming-aspect-of-golf-lies-in-the-vast-number-of/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [God plays a lot of jokes on us to get our attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/god-plays-a-lot-of-jokes-on-us-to-get-our-attention/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [Ha! Easy for nuns to talk about giving up things. That's what they do for a living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/ha-easy-for-nuns-to-talk-about-giving-up-things-that-s-what-they-do/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [This is the big reason most humorists fail. Drunks don't read books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/this-is-the-big-reason-most-humorists-fail-drunks-don-t-read-books/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [On investments, 1998: Where I'm from we don't trust paper. Wealth is what's here on the premises. If I open a cupboard and see,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/on-investments-1998-where-i-m-from-we-don-t-trust-paper-wealth-is/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [“The rich can afford to be progressive. Poor people have reason to be afraid of the future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/the-rich-can-afford-to-be-progressive-poor-people-have-reason-to-be/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [English is the perfect language for preachers because it allows you to talk until you think of what to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/english-is-the-perfect-language-for-preachers-because-it-allows-you/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [“If you can't read a simple goddam sign and follow one simple goddam instruction then get your fat butt the hell out of here.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/if-you-can-t-read-a-simple-goddam-sign-and-follow-one-simple-goddam/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [“The Gospel is meant to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/the-gospel-is-meant-to-comfort-the-afflicted-and-afflict-the/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [I don't want them to be told to remember me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/i-don-t-want-them-to-be-told-to-remember-me/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [Childhood is the small town everyone came from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/childhood-is-the-small-town-everyone-came-from/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [I have taken so many wrong turns and been so careless with precious things and managed to lose, or break, or leave out in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/i-have-taken-so-many-wrong-turns-and-been-so-careless-with-precious/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [Where I'm from we don't trust paper. Wealth is what's here on the premises. If I open a cupboard and see, say, thirty cans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/where-i-m-from-we-don-t-trust-paper-wealth-is-what-s-here-on-the/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [People do what they are told not to do. It happens time and time again. Here on the frozen tundra, it is known as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/people-do-what-they-are-told-not-to-do-it-happens-time-and-time-again/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) [Explore all 304 Garrison Keillor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) ## More Bigs quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [I got in trouble my whole life for having a big mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/i-got-in-trouble-my-whole-life-for-having-a-big-mouth/) [Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/) [Browse all 15,539 Bigs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Before the world was made, when it was only darkness and mist and waters, God was well aware of Lake Wobegon, my family, our house, and He had me all sketched out down to what size my feet would be (big), which bike I would ride (Schwinn), and the five ears of corn I'd eat for supper that night.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Garrison Keillor" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/before-the-world-was-made-when-it-was-only-darkness-and-mist-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bigs" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/before-the-world-was-made-when-it-was-only-darkness-and-mist-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/508/garrison-keillor-1037_bigs_before-the-world-was-made-when-it-was-on_32112.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/508/garrison-keillor-1037_bigs_before-the-world-was-made-when-it-was-on_32112.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/508/garrison-keillor-1037_bigs_before-the-world-was-made-when-it-was-on_32112.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Before the world was made, when it was only darkness and mist and waters, God was well aware of Lake…” — Garrison Keillor", "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": "Garrison Keillor", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Before the world was made, when...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/before-the-world-was-made-when-it-was-only-darkness-and-mist-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/before-the-world-was-made-when-it-was-only-darkness-and-mist-and/#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 } } ] } ```