Moment in the Word

Philippians 4:8 - Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

 

Why does the entire world miss an 80-year-old woman so desperately?

 

Possibly because she lived life to the extreme! She invested herself in everything and everyone from beginning to end, even denying her own mortality for our sakes to the very last possible moment! And now that the immense personal treasure of our beloved benefactress is inevitably withdrawn from this earthly account, we ALL feel so incredibly poor, facing life alone without her... especially in these old Missouri Ozark Hills where our native son, Porter Wagoner, got his start and then joined Dolly.

 

There is a priceless lesson to be learned in the stellar life of Dolly Parton. She lived her dreams like no other...and made everyone else feel loved while she did it... even the tawdry lady she based her entire persona on. The child's mother said the small-town Appalachian flirt was "trash," but at a very young age, Dolly saw great value in the gaudy woman's life. Amazingly... there was something genuinely divine about Dolly! Oh, that we all had her ability to see beauty where there seems to be none!

 

A Facebook friend sadly said, "I felt such a void last night after Dolly passed." And I think we all felt that same gnawing pain of separation.

 

However, I believe Dolly's absence starkly highlights all the heavenly qualities she represented to the entire world. If God had not removed her, would we have ever taken time to notice? With all the frivolous conflicts and meaningless upheavals going on in this country... I think it was Dolly's time to leave so we would all stop for a moment, refocus our attention, and realize the most important meaning of life. Once again, I believe God used His very special angel for a vital mission... "Make them all see!"

 

But the question is... How long will that moment of awareness and appreciation last?