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Country Icon Dolly Parton Shares How God Intervened When She Contemplated Suicide

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  • Updated May 10, 2017

Dolly Parton, one of country music’s greatest stars, shares in her new memoir how she contemplated suicide, but believes God intervened to stop her.

According to Charisma News, Parton’s new memoir is called Dolly on Dolly: Interviews and Encounters with Dolly Parton.

In the book, Parton confesses that she went through a difficult season of life. She began binge-eating and she cheated on her husband.

Her life seemed to be falling apart, and one night, she was so depressed that she took out the gun she kept for protection, pondering whether to use it to kill herself.

"I looked at it a long time ... Then, just as I picked it up, just to hold it and look at it for a moment, out little dog, Popeye, came running up the stairs," Parton recalls. "The tap-tap of his paws jolted me back to reality, I suddenly froze. I put the gun down," she added.

Instead of taking her own life, Parton turned to prayer. "I kinda believe Popeye was a spiritual messenger from God," said Parton. "I don't think I'd have done it, killed myself, but I can't say for sure. Now that I've gone through that terrible moment, I can certainly understand the possibilities even for someone solid like me if the pain gets bad enough."

That dark experience showed Parton that "A belief in God is essential. You have to believe in something bigger than yourself. We grew up believing that through God all things are possible. I think I believed that so much that I made it happen."

Parton, who is now 71 years old, has a strong relationship with her husband of 51 years, Carl Dean. she is still touring and playing music.

 

Photo courtesy: Flickr.com

Publication date: May 10, 2017