It’s been five years since our television screens were first graced with camouflage wardrobes, long burly beards and a family that captured the heart of America. For half a decade, the Robertson family has been setting the bar high for all things facial hair, and even higher for sharing the gospel across household screens.
Tonight marks the end of an era—not that of beards or turquoise cups, but rather the end of a television show that the Robertsons always hoped would bring glory to God.
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The series finale of Duck Dynasty airs tonight on A&E, and Missy Robertson took to her blog to look back on all that God has done through their time on the network.
“It’s “Duck Dynasty: The Last Call” as A&E is titling this last and final season. Our first episode aired March 21, 2012, and our series finale will air this Wednesday, March 29, 2017. Five years! Where has the time gone? Surreal doesn’t even begin to describe the ride we’ve experienced. My head and heart are so full of hundreds of stories and emotions that I want to share with you, but summing up this chapter of our lives in one article is going to be extremely difficult.”
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The second of the four duck-wives explains that she’s in awe of the impact that their family has been able to make on millions of people.
“Please understand that this is not a way to brag on our achievements. Quite the contrary. I am writing to show just what God has done through a bunch of people who found each other, committed to their spouses, fought through numerous hardships, disappointments and battles and continue to hold on tight to our hope in Jesus Christ.”
Missy says that when the family was first approached by A&E in 2011, everyone was open to their offer except for her husband, Jase, and her father-in-law, Phil.
“Jase spoke up [saying], ’I’m just not sure how this is going to work. The reality television I know about thrives on drama, discord, fighting, lewd behavior and cursing. As Christians, we strive to live exactly the opposite.’”
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The family prayerfully decided to take a chance. They ended their family meeting the same way we’ve watched them end every episode of Duck Dynasty—in prayer.
“Phil prayed after our decision and asked God for wisdom as we moved forward. He also asked God to hold us accountable. I’ll never forget him saying, ‘Father, if you see that we are not using this opportunity for your glory, take it away.’”
Over the years, people have criticized the faith and “preaching” of the Robertson family. Some have claimed that it’s “all for show.” But I don’t know a lot of “showy Christians” who would submit to God in the way that Phil did through that prayer. I also don’t know a lot of people who, when given the opportunity to have their own television show, would ASK God to take it away from them if they lose sight of HIM as a result of it.
Missy references Ephesians 3:20-21, in which Paul writes, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever. Amen!”
She says that she’s been able to recite that verse for over 30 years, but the truth behind Paul’s words were never clear to her until Duck Dynasty. It’s awesome to see how God has done things through the Robertson family, but also IN them.
“I used to talk to God about things I was only aware about. That’s seems plausible, right? How can you talk to someone about something you have no indication of? Read that scripture again. It’s not our power. It’s His. We can’t even imagine what God can do in our lives. If we can’t imagine it, how can we even talk to Him about it?”
Through filming the show, Missy found new opportunities to showcase the name of Jesus—things that were immeasurably more than she could have asked or imagined. She realized she had been limiting God, simply by asking Him to “fix” this or “help” with that. After 30 years of reciting Paul’s words, Missy finally made the shift in her prayer life, asking God to “use me however you can” and “God, I’m open to whatever opportunities you send me, just keep me on track to glorify you.” It was a piece of her faith that she never knew she was missing before.
She shares that detail with readers to encourage others in their faith saying, “If God can do what he did with our crazy family, I can’t wait to see what he does next. It’s actually quite exciting!”
Isn’t that the truth. The Robertsons have been a household name for five years, but the laundry list of doors that God has opened up in that time makes it feel like they’ve been a part of our lives for a lot longer.
“From morning talk shows, to hosting awards shows, to presenting an award live at the CMTs, to making our very own platinum-selling Christmas album (eek!), to filming episodes in beautiful Hawaii and Scotland, to finishing runner-up on Dancing with the Stars, to writing books, to walking red carpets, to designing clothing lines to encourage modesty and class, to launching a jewelry business to help women coming out of addiction and sex trafficking, to starting charities to promote adoption and help children born with cleft lip and palate, to adding five new family members (two by adoption and three by marriage) to appearing in almost 12 million homes in one given night, to speaking in front of hundreds of thousands of people in the hopes they will give their lives to Christ. These are only a few of the things God has used for his glory through our family over the past five years.”
She continues:
“No one could have predicted even one of these things.
But God knew all along.”
Missy closes her devotional reminiscing on what God has done, and saying “thank you” to everyone who joined their family over the last five years—the biggest one being A&E.
“It was and continued to be [A&E’s] decision to show our family praying, and not just at mealtime but during weddings, when Mia was in the hospital and numerous other occasions. They took a big chance in today’s anti-Christian society to put that on national television and keep it there night after night, even after much controversy. You see, God used them for his glory also. Again, ‘more than all we can ask or imagine.’”
As for their plans now that the show is ending, Missy continues to retreat back to Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
People keep asking, “What will you do next?”
She has just one simple reply.
“’Duck Dynasty: The Last Call’ may be what A&E is titling this end to an era, but we know that our final calling comes from God Almighty. So, I shrug my shoulders and respond, ‘Whatever God calls us to do.’”
