The closest I ever got to Dolly Parton was last week, having one of my posts in the same edition of Chattanoogan.com as the news of her passing. Of course, I saw her on TV and in films, and visited her Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., but my knowledge of Dolly was secondhand, as it was for most folks. So, I can’t write about her from personal experience.
But from all accounts, the unique, larger-than-life, immensely talented Dolly left her mark in countless ways. Born and raised in the Smoky Mountains, her determination served to lift her from poverty to fame and fortune most of us can’t even imagine. Her fierce resolve became an inspiration for countless fans.
Her professional resume was impressive: Hall of fame singer and songwriter, actress, entrepreneur, author, philanthropist. The list goes on. If one were to select a favorite from Dolly’s hit songs, there would be many from which to choose.
For me, what stands out most is that she was a woman of faith. In many of her interviews Dolly spoke about her sense of calling, that God had anointed her for a special purpose and she was determined to fulfill it. Part of this was being an entertainer known for her iconic hairdos, figure, distinctive voice, ever-present smile and upbeat spirit. But she also fully understood the value and importance of what we often hear referred to as “paying it forward” – and living out her faith.
Her father was illiterate, and Dolly recognized how being able to read is a key ingredient in the recipe for success. So, she made it a personal mission to empower children to learn how to read and appreciate the joys of reading. This led to establishing her Imagination Library, which has gifted more than 330 million books to more than three million children in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland and Australia.
A story about her that I love began in 1988. According to the account, she went to a school in Sevier County – her home county in East Tennessee – and had every 7th and 8th grader come into a room. She instructed each to pick a buddy and had them all sign a contract: If both graduated from high school, both would receive a check for $500. If either failed, neither would get paid. Each child would be accountable to the other.
Before Dolly made this offer, the county’s school dropout rate was 35 percent. Motivated by the financial reward, students encouraged one another and most stayed in school, lowering the dropout rate to six percent. And she kept her promise, presenting the checks to each young person herself.
The next year she gave $500 to every student in the county who wanted to attend the local college. In 2016, when much of nearby Gatlinburg was ravaged by terrible fires, Dolly sent 900 families who’d been affected $1,000 a month for six months. Then, because a charitable fund for fire victims raised much more than expected, she gave each family an additional $5,000.
She spearheaded the building of a hospital in Sevier County that included a birthing unit and women’s center. One year she paid the full cost of college tuition, books and fees for every Dollywood employee. Dolly donated $1 million for the aid of victims of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, and her companies matched it.
There were many other significant acts of benevolence, certainly some that received no public notice. But what stands out is not the dollar amount of Dolly’s generosity, but the fact that she put feet to her faith.
We live in an age when many prominent individuals – especially in the entertainment industry – talk about the poor and the oppressed, all the while living in the secure confines of their palatial estates. All talk and very little action. Dolly Parton, however, saw needs and used her substantial resources to help in meeting them. Her faith, as well as never forgetting her impoverished upbringing, were among her motivators.
In the New Testament book of James, we read, “What good is it, my brothers, if a [person] claims to have faith but has no deeds?... In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:14-17).
The Bible clearly teaches that we are not saved by good works, but solely by God’s grace, based on Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice on the cross for our sins. From what I’ve read and heard, Dolly Parton understood that. However, she also recognized she was a steward, not only of her talents but also of the material wealth the Lord had enabled her to accumulate.
Few people will ever acquire even a fraction of the financial resources Dolly had, but that doesn’t matter. We’re responsible only for what God provides, just as the servants were accountable for what their master had entrusted to them in the parable Jesus told in Matthew 25:14-30. The servants that had faithfully put to use what they had been given were rewarded with more, along with the commendation, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”
The principle is stated at the end of the passage: “For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him” (Matthew 25:29). In other words, if we prove ourselves faithful in using whatever God has entrusted to us, He will entrust us with more that we can use for His glory.
I suspect that as Dolly arrived at the gates of Heaven, she heard two things: “Hello, Dolly!” And “Well done, good and faithful servant!”
