Jeff Duffield

Growth Charts

Recently my wife Sue and I found our selves in our home state of New Jersey, scheduled to minister during the Sunday morning service at a church pastored by our good, long-time friends.

The church’s previous pastor is the father of the famous pop group, the Jonas Brothers. From all accounts, the Jonas family are good people, good musicians.

Arriving the night before the service, we were hosted in the parsonage and were given a room that at one time was a bedroom for one of the brothers. (Don’t know who) Though the Jonas Brothers no longer live there, there exists evidence of their one time residence in the house, things such as marks on the closet wall that noted the growth spurts of the various brothers. In addition, there were various and sundry boyhood items that had been left behind in the aftermath of their move.

Our friends tell many stories about cars pulling into their driveway at odd hours. People will get out, knock on the door, and ask to “look around” the house where the boys once lived. When their request is denied, things occasionally “lifted” from the yard. Souvenirs, if you will.

We smile, and sometimes look down our noses at such behavior. Juvenile and boorish is what comes to mind.

But do we sometimes do similar things with our music and Ministry? Are we guilty of trying to be “like” another
successful artist, singing their songs, using their arrangements, etc?

God has made each one of us distinctly unique. The Word says, “We are fearfully and wonderfully made”. Each one of us brings our own talents and skill sets to our music. Since we all know that God doesn’t make “mistakes”, then we all have something new to sing and say.

The problem with that? It takes time, work, sweat, practice, and perseverance. All that fun stuff. But isn’t that our calling? To “study to show thy self approved”, and to perform “skillfully”?

I believe if we perform our “due diligence” in the task at hand, that in due season God will bless our efforts, and He will “elevate” us to the position HE wants us to have.
Then maybe...someone will look in a closet for our growth chart.