Thrift Store Graces: Finding God's Gifts in the Midst of the Mess

I took this book and Jane Knuth's first book,  Thrift Store Saints , with me on vacation last week. These two books about her volunteer work with the poor through the St. Vincent de Paul Society might seem an odd choice for a vacation that put us squarely in the ranks of the privileged, but it was the perfect time to contemplate this author's many subtle and nuanced spiritual insights.Ms. Knuth has volunteered at a thrift store in Kalamazoo, Michigan, run by this Catholic charitable organization for almost 20 years. In her books are tales of her encounters with customers at the store and in the surrounding neighborhood. The refreshing thing about her point of view, however, is that she doesn't consider herself to be serving the poor, or teaching the poor, or in any way condescending to a class of people not her own. She has wholeheartedly assumed the Society's position that the people she helps are her teachers, and she their student. That simple, yet profound, shift in thinking informs Ms. Knuth's every interaction. It produces a curiosity and humility that makes her storytelling so very touching.Yet Ms. Knuth is no saint! She is honest about her struggles to help people who might be lying to her, people who don't smell good or who are drunk and abusive, people who -- as one of the ongoing stories in this book reveals -- rob her while brazenly turning an innocent face to the world.In this book, Ms. Knuth's stories at the shop are intertwined with tales of her reluctant pilgrimage to Medjugorje in the war-ravaged country of Bosnia, where the Mother Mary has been said to appear every day since 1981 to a group of six young people. Her gentle humor reveals her growing appreciation of the pilgrimage: "One of the first things Our Blessed Mother told the visionaries when she arrived in their town was that everyone needed to go to Mass more often," she writes. "This is one of the most convincing elements of the whole apparition story for me. The visionaries were teenagers when all this started... and teenagers would not make this part up."Perhaps what I most appreciated about Ms. Knuth's books is that she resists easy answers and pat endings. She fully explores ambiguous feelings, and lets herself off the hook for being woefully human. That's a grace more of us could use, whether or not we volunteer at a thrift shop.

Loved Jane Knuth's first book Thrift Store Graces and couldn't wait to hear what happened next. I found both books funny, honest, inspiring and relatable. P.S. I shared the first book with a fellow Vincentian and will share this one as well.

As with 'Thrift Store Saints' I was again touched by these stories and the correlation to my life. When Jane was relating her experiences on her pilgrimage, I was dismayed when she 'rejected' the 15th station of the cross, the resurrection. To me, this is the most important part of the crucifixion, not the death of Christ but his rising from the dead. I was therefore delighted when the Lord gave her abounding joy right on that mountaintop at the 15th station. After all, dying did not make Jesus our savior, everyone does that, rising again did. Thus, we can rise again when we ask him into our hearts to be our personal savior.I delight in seeing these stories, it makes me value my God Moments even more. Thank you Jane for sharing.

This book is a follow up to Thrift Store Saints; Finding Jesus $.25 at a time. These are two of my all time favorite books. I have bought copies to share with others and have added them to our library at religious education. Jane puts a face on the poor and those who struggle to survive in our society. She is an excellent story teller and puts you there in the St. Vincent de Paul store to experience the trials and triumphs of those who shop at the store and those who seek to serve them. A beautiful blessing for those who read it.

I picked up Jane's first book in a Vinnies store and absolutely loved it. It didn't take me long to go looking for anything else that she had written, and I bought this book straight away. Different from the first in that it's got a greater sense of coherency as a book, whereas her first book is more a collection of stories or thoughts. This book is a great insight into the life of an everyday believer and volunteer, and gave me much to consider about my own beliefs and how I act upon them. I highly recommend this book, and will be looking forward to reading more from Jane in the future.

Thrift Store Graces is just as good as Jane Knuth's first book, Thrift Store Saints. Along with more thought provoking stories about the thrift store (sometimes amusing, sometimes heartbreaking), this book tells about Jane's experiences on pilgrimage to Medjugorje. Last year I had the blessing of going on pilgrimage to the Holy land. Jane's experiences ring very, very true. Being a pilgrim has great joy, but it certainly isn't a vacation. I look forward to more books by this author.

This first book (of two) about the very real effect of ordinary people on the poverty, suffering and endless need of many of the less fortunate in our society and world was a great read and I used it to teach a Bible Study at a catholic church where older Christians worked to link everyday life with lessons from the gospel. This and the second book about one woman's experience with a social action program called St. Vincent DePaul Society - is funny, awe inspiring and just plain "Real" as the kids say. Great read, great lessons!

I bought 4 copies of this book and Thrift Store Saints: Meeting Jesus 25 Cents at a Time. by the same author, to pass around among the volunteers at our St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store. They loved the books. "This sounds like us!" Jane Knuth's down-to -earth humor and sensible spirituality. delighted and encouraged us. Thanks, Jane!