--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: All he had ever prayed for was the…" description: "\"“All he had ever prayed for was the ability to catch outfield flies, in answer to which God had bestowed upon him a penis that was bigger than anybody ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6f/haruki-murakami-21_flies_all-he-had-ever-prayed-for-was-the-abili_2268217.jpg" --- # All he had ever prayed for was the ability to catch… ![“All he had ever prayed for was the ability to catch outfield flies, in answer to which God had bestowed upon him a penis that was bigger than anybody else's. What kind of world came up with such idiotic bargains?” quote by Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6f/haruki-murakami-21_flies_all-he-had-ever-prayed-for-was-the-abili_2268217.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6f/haruki-murakami-21_flies_all-he-had-ever-prayed-for-was-the-abili_2268217.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6f/haruki-murakami-21_flies_all-he-had-ever-prayed-for-was-the-abili_2268217.jpg) > ““All he had ever prayed for was the ability to catch outfield flies, in answer to which God had bestowed upon him a penis that was bigger than anybody else's. What kind of world came up with such idiotic bargains?”” [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A man receives an absurd divine gift, highlighting the randomness and absurdity of divine bargains. **In simple terms:** Divine gifts can be absurd and arbitrary. Key Takeaway Question the logic of fate. Themes absurdity faith human desire for control Mood ironic reflective Type fictional philosophical When to use this quote - reading - personal reflection - creative writing Key Concepts theology existential humor desire Questions to Reflect On - What does this say about human expectations of divine fairness? - How do we cope with arbitrary life outcomes? A Different Perspective May trivialize serious spiritual concerns. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Answer God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answer-god/) [Bestowed Penis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bestowed-penis-5246856/) [Flies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flies/) [Flies Answer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flies-answer-5246855/) [Penis Bigger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/penis-bigger-5246857/) ## Related quotes > [“Time flies when you're a dolt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/time-flies-when-you-re-a-dolt/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“People who believe themselves ignorant of nothing have neither looked for, nor stumbled upon, the boundary between what is known and unknown in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/people-who-believe-themselves-ignorant-of-nothing-have-neither-looked/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [“My Christian faith has always put a central role of my life and it’s supplies answers to those questions: “who do you think sent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinh-chung/my-christian-faith-has-always-put-a-central-role-of-my-life-and-it-s/) [Vinh Chung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinh-chung/) > [“She was satisfied with the answer God had given Moses from the burning bush when Moses had seen fit to question. 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Answer: God is more powerful and wiser than we are, therefore he deals with us according to his pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/what-is-predestination-answer-god-is-more-powerful-and-wiser-than-we/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [The answer to our cry which God gave in Jesus infinitely transcends our expectations, achieving a solidarity which cannot be human alone, but divine.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/the-answer-to-our-cry-which-god-gave-in-jesus-infinitely-transcends/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) > [I don't really feel like I have anybody to answer to but myself and God and the people I love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-aiken/i-don-t-really-feel-like-i-have-anybody-to-answer-to-but-myself-and/) [Clay Aiken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-aiken/) > [“He lay wracked with pain and in moral despair; they told him about themselves, and when he felt even worse, he got an answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/he-lay-wracked-with-pain-and-in-moral-despair-they-told-him-about/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [I have my own record company. I have to answer to God, basically. I'm not young, so I want to make the best possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gira/i-have-my-own-record-company-i-have-to-answer-to-god-basically-i-m/) [Michael Gira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gira/) > [Our God listens to us. Our God is a living God. He's not a block of wood you made up that's not going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-chan/our-god-listens-to-us-our-god-is-a-living-god-he-s-not-a-block-of/) [Francis Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-chan/) > [“We will all have to answer to God in due time. However, I don't believe God is more concerned about what others do to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-ambu/we-will-all-have-to-answer-to-god-in-due-time-however-i-don-t-believe/) [Joan Ambu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-ambu/) > [“In the end, thought Sol, past logic and hope, it is dreams and the love of those dearest to us that form Abraham’s answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/in-the-end-thought-sol-past-logic-and-hope-it-is-dreams-and-the-love/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“For too many questions there’s only one vague answer: God was everywhere (Martin once remarked: not in my undies!), accompanied by a thinly veiled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patric-juillet/for-too-many-questions-there-s-only-one-vague-answer-god-was/) [Patric Juillet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patric-juillet/) ## More by Haruki Murakami > [I always feel like I'm struggling to become someone else. Like I'm trying to find a new place, grab hold of a new life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-always-feel-like-i-m-struggling-to-become-someone-else-like-i-m/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [If writing novels is like planting a forest, then writing short stories is more like planting a garden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/if-writing-novels-is-like-planting-a-forest-then-writing-short/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“The sad truth is that what I could recall in five seconds all too soon needed ten, then thirty, thena full minute...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-sad-truth-is-that-what-i-could-recall-in-five-seconds-all-too/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Intelligent teenage girls were often instinctively theatrical, purposely eccentric, mouthing highly suggestive words to confuse people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/intelligent-teenage-girls-were-often-instinctively-theatrical/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Memory is like fiction; or else it's fiction that's like memory. This really came home to me once I started writing fiction, that memory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/memory-is-like-fiction-or-else-it-s-fiction-that-s-like-memory-this/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [The most dangerous creature here would have to be me. So maybe I'm just scared of my own shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-most-dangerous-creature-here-would-have-to-be-me-so-maybe-i-m/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [If you listen to the radio for a whole hour there's maybe one decent song. The rest is mass-produced garbage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/if-you-listen-to-the-radio-for-a-whole-hour-there-s-maybe-one-decent/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“that one of our problems was our inability to recognize and accept our own deformities”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/that-one-of-our-problems-was-our-inability-to-recognize-and-accept/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“When I look back at myself at age twenty, what I remember most is being alone and lonely. I had no girlfriend to warm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/when-i-look-back-at-myself-at-age-twenty-what-i-remember-most-is/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“There's not a branch of publishing or broadcasting that doesn't depend in some way on advertising. It'd be like an aquarium without water. Why,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/there-s-not-a-branch-of-publishing-or-broadcasting-that-doesn-t/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“One by one, I'll face the tasks before me and complete them as best I can. Focusing on each stride forward, but at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/one-by-one-i-ll-face-the-tasks-before-me-and-complete-them-as-best-i/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Eleven o'clock had come and gone. I had to find a way to bring this conversation to a successful conclusion and get out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/eleven-o-clock-had-come-and-gone-i-had-to-find-a-way-to-bring-this/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Some people get a kick out of reading railway timetables and that's all they do all day. Some people make huge model boats out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/some-people-get-a-kick-out-of-reading-railway-timetables-and-that-s/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“When the time comes, everybody’s got to end up where they belong. Only me, I didn’t have a place to call my own. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/when-the-time-comes-everybody-s-got-to-end-up-where-they-belong-only/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“You let something out of the bag before yourself knew what it was all about”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/you-let-something-out-of-the-bag-before-yourself-knew-what-it-was-all/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) [Explore all 2,928 Haruki Murakami quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) ## More Flies quotes > [A lot of people have been saying 'The 100' reminds them of 'Lord Of The Flies,' 'Lost' and 'Battlestar Galactica,' and all of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-avgeropoulos/a-lot-of-people-have-been-saying-the-100-reminds-them-of-lord-of-the/) [Marie Avgeropoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-avgeropoulos/) > [“I was like a turd that drew flies instead of like a flower that butterflies and bees desired. I wanted to live alone,I felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-was-like-a-turd-that-drew-flies-instead-of-like-a-flower-that/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“FLIES IN DISGUISE Tell me, Have you Really seen Flies in a child's eyes Or heard their hungry cries In the middle Of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/flies-in-disguise-tell-me-have-you-really-seen-flies-in-a-child-s/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [You tell me you love me, but Im not sure you know what love is, or how fast it flies, or how much it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-nishah/you-tell-me-you-love-me-but-im-not-sure-you-know-what-love-is-or-how/) [Hussein Nishah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hussein-nishah/) > [He who flies can also return; but it is not so with him who dies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-scarron/he-who-flies-can-also-return-but-it-is-not-so-with-him-who-dies/) [Paul Scarron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-scarron/) > [I went from an unemployed actor's life to doing stand-up comedy, and that was fortuitous. It's not the usual way the crow flies, going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-tate/i-went-from-an-unemployed-actor-s-life-to-doing-stand-up-comedy-and/) [Catherine Tate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-tate/) > [I sprayed a mosquito with mosquito repellent and now he'll never have any friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-sprayed-a-mosquito-with-mosquito-repellent-and-now-he-ll-never-have/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I have an agreement with the houseflies. The flies don't practice law and I don't walk on the ceiling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/i-have-an-agreement-with-the-houseflies-the-flies-don-t-practice-law/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [To me, there is nothing more soothing than the song of a mosquito that can't get through the mesh to bite you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison-smartt-bell/to-me-there-is-nothing-more-soothing-than-the-song-of-a-mosquito-that/) [Madison Smartt Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison-smartt-bell/) > [“In Massachusetts and Vermont, there had been plenty of mosquitoes, but in New Hampshire, they had reinforcements.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-pharr-davis/in-massachusetts-and-vermont-there-had-been-plenty-of-mosquitoes-but/) [Jennifer Pharr Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-pharr-davis/) > [Flies are the price we pay for summer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-zwinger/flies-are-the-price-we-pay-for-summer/) [Ann Zwinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-zwinger/) > [The good Lord didn't create anything without a purpose, but the fly comes close.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-good-lord-didn-t-create-anything-without-a-purpose-but-the-fly/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“horas volat (time flies)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/constantijn-huygens/horas-volat-time-flies/) [Constantijn Huygens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/constantijn-huygens/) > [Pike, three inches long, perfect Pike in all parts, green tigering the gold. 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