✝️ OFFICIAL SUNDAY OPEN THREAD

Six Things Dolly Parton Said About Her Faith:”My Life Purpose Is To Do Something For God.”

ddd

fter her death last month at age 80, country music legend Dolly Parton is being remembered not only for her music, charitable work, philanthropy and a larger-than-life personality which made her a global icon, but also for her Christian faith she said guided her throughout her life.

According to her nephew, Bryan Seaver, who announced her death on behalf of the Parton and Owens families, Parton was reportedly surrounded by loved ones when she passed away in Nashville after a brief battle with cancer.

“It is an honor, an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness. But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly. Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents and countless others who have watched her and longed to meet her in the heavens,” he said.

Raised in the Smoky Mountains in a large family, Parton grew up in the church under the influence of her grandfather, a Pentecostal preacher. Long after becoming one of the world’s most recognizable entertainers, she continued to give God the credit for guiding her life. She said she viewed her career platform as a responsibility to help others.

Over the years, Parton spoke to The Christian Post several times about her faith and the role it played in her life; from discovering her God-given purpose as a child, to forgiveness, prayer and trusting God through times of personal challenges. Here are six things she shared about her faith:

✪ ONE: She believed she was ‘anointed’ with a purpose

Parton said one of the defining moments of her childhood came when an older woman told her, “You are anointed.”

“We grew up in the Church, and my grandpa was a Pentecostal preacher, so healing, praying and being anointed and all that stuff, that was nothing new to us, we survived because we has our faith in God to get us through. But when that old lady told me that I was anointed, I didn’t really know what that was. I was just thinking it was like, olive oil.”

When she asked her mother what the woman meant, her mother explained: “That means that God has His hand on you; and that you may do something special.” Parton said those words gave her a sense of purpose which stayed with her throughout her life.

“That triggered a faith in me because I believe that I was supposed to do something good,” she said. “After she told me that, I thought, ‘Well then, this is my responsibility. I’m going to do something good.'”

✪ TWO: She acknowledging her own sin to God

Parton was often candid about her imperfections and her continual need for God’s forgiveness. “I never let go of that,” she said about her belief God had a specific purpose for her life. “I always felt responsible to God that I was supposed to be doing something for God. I still feel like that, and I’m still doing it.”

Then, with her characteristic humor and humility, she added: “Sinning all the way, but still trying my best, and asking forgiveness seventy times seven.”

✪ THREE: She said forgiveness ‘cleans’ the heart and soul

Parton spoke about the importance of extending forgiveness to others rather than allowing bitterness and anger to take root.

“There’s a lot to be said about forgiveness; it cleans you up for other good stuff to come in. If you go around with a bunch of hate and anger all bottled up in you, you can’t blossom. As a person, you’re not doing yourself any favors or anyone else. It’s just so much better to forgive.”

For the “I Will Always Love You” singer, forgiving someone did not mean pretending the hurt never happened; it required honesty and humility on both sides. She said:

“And of course, we can’t forget; we still remember things, but I think when they say ‘forgive and forget,’ that just means to forget about that now and move on. I really think that that’s so important to cleanse your own heart and your own soul, to be able to forgive and to ask forgiveness. You never should be too proud to ask for forgiveness.”

✪ FOUR: She prayed each day to be a ‘light’ & ‘vessel’ for God

Parton’s faith also greatly influenced her extensive philanthropic work. Through initiatives including her Imagination Library, she sought to direct her success and resources to improve the lives of others.

“Every day I pray for God to lead me and to take away all the wrong things, wrong people in my life; and bring all the right things, right people to let me glorify Him and uplift mankind, to do something in this world to make it a little better than it was. And let me be a light and a vessel to be used.”

Parton said she believed having the ability to help others came with a responsibility to do so. “I just wanted to do what I can in this world to make things better if I can, and I’m in a position to do it,” she said. “If you get in a position to help, you should help.”

✪ FIVE: God gave her a calling & would tell her when to stop

Even when she spoke with the Christian Post at age 73 in 2019, Parton dismissed the idea of slowing down simply because of her age; saying she believed her work was part of a larger mission. “I live on spiritual energy, creative and spiritual energy, because I do go a lot,” she said. “I work hard. I work really, really hard. But I love my work.” Parton said difficult times in her life only reinforced her reliance on God:

“It’s like, only when you go through family problems or heartaches [that] you actually have to lean on God for even more, but I really feel like I have a calling. I always felt I had a mission. Don’t know what all it is, but I feel like God had told me early in a feeling that I was supposed to go until He told me to stop. He ain’t said nothing yet about quitting, so I ain’t said nothing about retiring yet. Until God says stop, I’ll keep going.”

✪ SIX: She trusted God even in her hardest moments

Parton said her faith gave her a framework for understanding suffering. Rather than asking why something difficult had happened, she tried to discern what God might be teaching her through it.

“Even when I’m going through really hard times, I try to see what God is trying to teach me. I just think, I’m supposed to be knowing something, I’m supposed to be learning something. I’m supposed to be becoming a bigger person, being taught responsibility or patience. I just know with everything I go through, I like to feel I’ll come out of it better.”

Parton compared this perspective to the “Footprints in the Sand” poem, which depicts God carrying a person through the most difficult seasons of life. “God didn’t leave me, or He was carrying me then,” she said. “I either left Him or He was carrying me. So that’s kinda how I look at that.”

And when she found herself wondering where God was amid suffering, Parton said she imagined His answer would be, “I’m down here, with the people.” ✪