Just Like Dolly

In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. Matthew 5:16 NLT

There aren't many people nearly everyone seems to love.

But Dolly Parton was one of them.

She was my hero. Not just because she possessed more talent in one perfectly manicured pinky than most of us could dream of having. Not because she was funny, successful, or instantly recognizable anywhere in the world.

I loved Dolly because she was unapologetically Dolly.

The hair. The rhinestones. The laugh. The dimples. The twinkle. The faith. The unmistakable voice. She never seemed interested in becoming what someone else thought she should be.

But underneath all that sparkle was something even more beautiful.

She loved Jesus. And she loved people.

Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35), and Dolly spent a lifetime demonstrating what that looks like.

She gave books to children by the millions through her Imagination Library. She provided jobs and opportunities in the mountains where she grew up. She supported education, medical research, disaster relief, and countless other causes.

She had been given much, and she gave much away.

But generosity isn't only measured in dollars.

Dolly gave joy. She gave encouragement. She made people laugh. She treated people with kindness and dignity. And despite decades of enormous fame, she somehow never seemed to forget where she came from—or Who she belonged to.

Jesus told us to let our light shine so that others would see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16).

Dolly knew how to shine.

But the brightest thing about her wasn't covered in rhinestones.

It was a life spent using what she'd been given to make life better for somebody else.

Most of us will never have Dolly's bank account, platform, or ability to write approximately 4,000 songs.

But we have something to give.

We have time. Words. Encouragement. Resources. Talents. Influence. Kindness. A seat at our table. A hand to hold. A story that might give someone else hope.

And we have a Light worth shining.

When my life is over, I hope people don't simply remember what I accomplished.

I hope they remember that I loved Jesus. That I loved people. That I gave more than I took. That I used what God gave me to make somebody else's life a little better.

That His light somehow showed in my smile, my eyes, my words, and my life.

Just like Dolly.

You are loved!