Dolly Parton is dead, and the church never knew what to do with her.
Half my feed is posting rhinestones today. The other half never trusted her, because she would not wear the uniform.
She never preached a sermon.
She just did the works.
One man. Fifty-eight years. In an industry that eats marriages. No scandal reel, no reality show, no trading up. Just Carl, and a promise kept until death did them part.
She could have built towers in Nashville. Instead she built in the mountains she came from, so the people she came from could work.
Two hundred million books. Given away to children, free, no strings, while the rest of us argued about what to read.
A million dollars for a vaccine in the middle of a plague, and she called it what it was: helping.
She was a feminist who never used the word, a superstar who never left home, and a believer who never made you watch her pray.
"Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works." James 2:18.
We spent years asking whether she was one of ours.
She never asked whether we were one of hers. She was too busy feeding children.
I do not know her heart. That was never my job. I know her works, because the whole county she came from lives on them.
"Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." Matthew 7:20.
You want to honor her today? Put down the tribute post. Put a book in a kid's hands. Stay married. Do the works.
That was the whole sermon. She just never said it out loud.
My newest prayer is simple: "Lord, settle it." Settle my mind. Settle my heart. Settle my spirit.
Teach me to walk in peace instead of anxiety, and faith instead of fear.
Pray a lot
Pray for everything
Pray about the little things
Pray about the big ones too
Pray on what seems silly and ridiculous
Pray obviously about the serious ones too
Pray about your suspicions
Pray on the ones you’re certain about
Just pray.
Be boring. Live your life your way. Go to bed at 9. Wake up at 5. Eat simple foods. Go for 2 hour walks. Read 900 page books. Avoid drama. The world chases excitement. More noise. More excitement. But you chase real. Things that align with your soul. A calm routine. A quiet mind. A healthy body. A small circle. A private life. Shit that make you feel like you. Depth over noise. Always...
Find someone who'll pray with you when life gets hard.
Someone who reminds you to trust God when you're feeling lost.
Someone who doesn't just say "God first" but lives it out.
You don't need a perfect person.
Just someone who's willing to grow, to seek, and to follow Jesus with you-side by side, hand in hand.
That's the kind of love that lasts.
Nobody talks about the stage of grief where you can't even talk about it to anyone anymore because everyone expects you to be getting over it but it still runs through your mind everyday.
APRIL CHALLENGE
• Pray and study your Bible at least 1 hour daily
• Read one chapter of the Bible
• Do not miss church services
• Speak life over yourself every single day
• Choose real, nourishing foods over junk
• Go on a solo date or with friends
• Move your body daily
• Workout at least 3x a week
• Attend a worship concert
• Read at least one book
• Fast at least once a week (as you’re led)
• Plan your days and journal consistently
If you are IN, comment I AM IN🔥
It just hit me that I won't hear her voice on my birthday anymore. Every year on my birthday she would call. Last year was the last time. Does this pain ever go away?