Dolly Parton Says Her Husband Is Her ‘Personal Fountain of God Clues’
Dolly Parton is open with her fans about her connection with God and her spiritual side. She says her husband, Carl Dean, has been a big part of her spiritual journey. Here’s what she said about Dean and how he provides her with what she calls “God clues.”
Prayer is important to Dolly Parton
Parton says she gets from prayer what some people get from daily exercise. For her, prayer is a source of energy. In her book Dream More, she says it makes her “feel alive” and “more excited about the world.” She says one passage from the Bible that has stuck with her all these years is the directive to “pray without ceasing.” Parton always wondered how it could be possible to pray continually, but she learned that it relates more to her awareness of God.
Parton says she reached a point in her life where she was always aware of God’s presence. She says she feels He is always with her, and He guides her, prompting her to “always strive to be more.”
Dolly Parton says she receives ‘God clues’
When Parton needs help making decisions, she turns to God. Although she turns to Him for help, she says God sometimes speaks to her through other people. “Sometimes the guidance is revealed in strange and mysterious ways,” she says.
One example Parton gave was when she was at a board meeting for the Dollywood Foundation and two of her associates publicly declared she should write a book. Parton says she was confused and upset because they didn’t discuss it with her beforehand. She felt like she was being pressured and she didn’t like that.
However, Parton later realized she was really feeling this way because she was upset with herself. She knew she should write this book and she kept putting it off. She says the pressure she felt from her associates was the push she needed to move forward and write the book. Parton says “things got back on track” once she decided to “get off the fence” and get writing.
When she spoke to her associates later, they told her they weren’t trying to pressure or manipulate her. Their excitement just got the best of them. Parton says it became clear God was trying to give her a nudge through this situation. She calls times like this her “God clue.” She takes this as a sign from God that she should or shouldn’t do something.
Dolly Parton says her husband is her ‘personal fountain of God clues’
Another source of guidance for Parton is her husband. When Parton needs a spiritual guide, she says she can always rely on her husband. She refers to him as “my own personal fountain of God clues.” Parton says there have been many occasions where she would be “stewing over” a situation and her husband will randomly say something that seems to fit her dilemma, even if he doesn’t realize what she is grappling with at the time.
Parton says many times Dean will say “exactly what I need to hear.” She says his comments might not relate specifically to the situation, but they often provide important clues and show her how to proceed. Says Parton, “By saying what’s on his mind, and by being true and honest, he gives me the answers I need.”
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