About The Book

Although she was for many years the wife of a pastor, Annemarie Wächter Arnold was known for her dislike of religious speech and pious utterances, preferring instead to express her faith in practical gestures of love. A cheerful and energetic woman, she touched the lives of thousands with small deeds of generosity, kindness, and encouragement.

Few who knew her as an adult would have recognized her as the teenager who wrote in her diary:

There is simply nothing in me, I am nothing, I have no opinion, no conviction, no direction, no nothing…what is God? I don’t know whether I believe in him or don’t believe in him…this inner loneliness is the worst thing there is, sometimes it could kill you.

This book is the story, told in Annemarie’s own words, of her path from doubt and despair to a life of purpose, faith, and joy. Annemarie was set on this path when she responded to a call from God so strong and direct that it abolished all her doubts. This call led her to a life in Christian community where she could dedicate herself completely to working towards God’s coming kingdom of justice and love. As she wrote,

It is infinitely reassuring to know that there is an absolute truth, an infinitely great love. It is wonderful to know that one does not have to squander one’s life, one does not need to ask anymore what life is really for, what its purpose is.

Hardcover, 5.5 x 8.5
ISBN: 978-0874868548