Duck Dynasty's Missy Robertson: Find Joy in Your Suffering (Exclusive Q&A)
While it may seem to be counter-intuitive, "Duck Dynasty" reality star Missy Robertson, whose family lives with the challenges of raising a child who's being treated for a cleft lip and palate, says that God wants people to find joy in their suffering. But what exactly does the wife and mother of three mean? She explains during her conversation last week with The Christian Post.
CP: You and Jase have come a long way from where you first started. Do you feel like two different people: Who you were then, versus now?
Robertson: I feel much more mature in my faith. We use this verse a lot ... Romans 5: 3-4. Paul says in Romans 5 that we should joy in our suffering. ... That's like an oxymoron — how can you be happy in your suffering? That doesn't make any sense. But the joy comes through those steps that he talks about. He says we should joy in our suffering because suffering produces perseverance, perseverance produces character, and character produces hope.
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I look around and I look back to where we were before. We didn't have, really, any huge problems or circumstances in our life. Jason, of course, overcame his dad's own problems in terms of drunkeness and wild living, and all that — and even a separation from his parents when he was young. He overcame that as a child. But, as far as our adult life, we were rocking and rolling just fine. Normal — living paycheck to paycheck — but still, we were pretty solid people.
And so I think, because of Paul's description in Romans 5, I would not be the person I am today without going through that suffering with my child, starting 12 years ago. So, I know that my character has grown, I know that Jason's character has grown. My boys' characters has grown, and I see things in them that would, most likely, not have been in their personality — in their character — had they not had a sister who had some major medical problems in her life. ... I can say that I think we're a better family because of it.
CP: It seems that you've had challenges during all of your pregnancies (going hours without medication during Reed's birth; baby Cole becoming stuck in your pelvis; one miscarriage; and Mia's Rh incompatibility blood issue). Do you think these challenges were making you "battle ready" for Mia's cleft lip and palate condition?
Robertson: I believe that there's a reason for things. ... I never had an easy childbirth. ... It's a funny story now, it wasn't funny then. ... All of those things were steps to bringing Mia into our family. If that child that I was pregnant with three months before Mia would have developed normally, we would have a completely different story in our family. Not that it would be bad — I don't know. ... Only God knows what that would have been. But I just thank Him for allowing those steps to happen so we could have Mia. I don't believe in coincidences.
CP: Throughout Mia's treatments, has it been difficult to maintain a balance between her needs and giving attention to the boys?
Robertson: At times, of course it was when we had to go to Dallas for surgery. When the boys were young, they would travel over with us. I do have a great family, you know that. I have a good family on my side, too. I have a really close aunt that's more like my sister. She would take care of my kids. My parents were there with me every time. ... So, I don't think we did a whole lot of sacrificing time with them [the boys]. I don't think that they can look back and say, 'Wow, I feel neglected...' I don't think that they would feel that way.
CP: How important was it to have a community of friends and family to support you throughout Mia's treatments?
Robertson: I don't know how people do it without it. I'm glad I've never had to experience it because it means so much to know that people are praying. Before "Duck Dynasty" I had that [support] in my church and in my spiritual and my physical family. Now, it's overwhelming — the people who are praying [for] and supporting us.
CP: How many more treatments does Mia have?
Robertson: Every child is different, they grow at different rates. Mia has grown a little bit slower than other kids her age, she's just small for her age. This past summer and fall she has really, really grown a lot. So we're trying to keep up with her growth now that we've had this "distraction" surgery that I talked about [in the book]. So we're trying to keep up with that growth.
Dr. Genecov told us, this past time that we saw him, that she may have one or two more [procedures]. But right now, she's in a growth state and a growth pattern and we're not going to worry about it right now. We still go to Dallas to the team and see them every six weeks for check-ups. That's just an ongoing thing in our life — we've never really stopped that. But as far as procedures or surgeries, right now we don't know anything in the immediate future, and we're just enjoying this time without having to worry about that.
At 12 years old, little Mia Robertson is a precocious pre-teen who enjoys family, school, friends and competition cheerleading. Missy Robertson said of her daughter, "She is flipping everywhere and pushing herself every single day. People are amazed at the accomplishments that she's made."
