08/26/2026
GOD’s GRACE :
Dolly Parton went to be with Jesus today. She was 80 years old. She was born in 1946 in the mountains of East Tennessee, one of 12 children in a poor but deeply loving family. She grew up singing in church and began writing songs as a child before moving to Nashville in 1964. Over the next six decades, she became one of the greatest songwriters and entertainers in American history, creating classics like “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” and “I Will Always Love You,” while also becoming an actress, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and the founder of Dollywood and the Imagination Library.
But underneath all the fame was a woman who repeatedly spoke about her faith in Jesus. Dolly said, “I grew up knowing that Jesus loves me. And I knew that through God all things were possible.” She credited her childhood church and family with shaping her faith, and she once said, “I always ask God to just let me lead people to Him.” She wanted whatever light people saw in her to ultimately point them towards Jesus.
Her faith also poured into her music. Dolly recorded gospel music throughout her career, including the powerful resurrection song “He's Alive,” and described her faith as “the thing that keeps me motivated, keeps me strong, keeps me from falling through the cracks.” After her husband Carl Dean died in 2025, Dolly said, “I am a person of faith, and I truly believe that I'm going to see him again someday.”
Dolly is leaving behind an extraordinary legacy of music, generosity, laughter, and Christian faith. May her life remind us that the greatest legacy we can leave isn't fame or success, but pointing other people toward Jesus Christ.