All Is Grace
A Ragamuffin Memoir
by Brennan Manning
Summary
Brennan Manning’s memoir is a refreshingly authentic proclamation of the Good News of the Gospel. Manning writes about how his feelings of fear and inadequacy growing up led him to trust in the false self, who he calls the Imposter. He turns to alcohol during his teenage years, feeling that it offers him temporary relief from living in shame. Later, alcoholism becomes a crippling hindrance to his life. Playing a part in the dissolution of his marriage, conflict in his friendships, and experiences of terrible failure.
Yet, through it all, Brennan clings to the belief that he is the beloved ragamuffin of his Abba. He knows that he is loved unconditionally, no matter how many times he falls and no matter how badly. His is a powerful story of the tender mercies of God, which are often extended through his brothers and sisters in Christ. His is a story of how, over a lifetime, the love and grace and mercy of God can lead a man to healing and forgiveness.
Author’s Website: All Is Grace - Book by Brennan Manning
Favorite Quotes
“Over the tar of my life, I have usually been headed toward something along the lines of ‘professional commitments.’ Or at least I thought they were. But those trips are over now. I am living in a different emotional direction. I am steering toward home, hardly a poster child for anything…anything, that is, but grace. And what exactly is grace? These pages are my final words on the matter. Grace is everything. I am Brennan the witness.”
“At the very least, the deals I made with myself to be a ‘good boy’ cost me my voice, my sense of wonder, and my self-worth for most of my adult life. The invisible dragon roared, I cowered, and what I call the ‘imposter’ was born, a shadow to my eight-year-old life. The imposter is a fake version of yourself, and that’s exactly how I started living.”
“Drinking gave me a rush of confidence, and for a boy hounded by feelings of inadequacy, the buzz was a welcome relief. What was impossible to realize at the time was that I was shooting myself in the head in some strange time warp where the bullet takes many years to finally reach its target.”
“A trusting heart is forgiven and, in turn, forgives.”
