In a recent interview with The Christian Post, Missy Robertson expressed her amazement at how the Lord has used Mia's cleft palate to bring healing and hope to others.
Missy and Jase Robertson learned that their daughter Mia had a cleft palate when she was still inside the womb. They prayed that God would heal her, hoping for a miracle. In His sovereign grace, God chose not to heal little Mia at that time, but Missy had faith that He would do something much greater in their lives because of her little girl's impairment.
"I knew God cared for me. I knew He was out there and He wanted the best for me," Missy remembers thinking when she and Jase received the news - "God allowed it. For some reason for His kingdom, for God's greater good, He wants this to happen. He wants to allow this and to allow us and our family to go through this." Her heart echoed the marvelous promise in Romans 8:28 for those who believe in Christ for salvation - "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose" (English Standard Version).
Though she didn't fully understand why God had allowed her child to be born with a cleft palate, she trusted in His goodness. "I had enough trust and faith in God that He loved us and saw that we could handle it, and that we could also influence other people through what we were about to go through," she says. The young parents could not imagine the ways that God would use their little girl later on in life to reach millions with a message of faith and of hope.
Duck Dynasty Mia Robertson Inspires Mia Moo Fund, Cleft Lip and Palate Foundation
The success of A&E's reality television show, "Duck Dynasty," has thrust Missy, Jase, and their children into the spotlight. Millions of viewers tuned in to Season Five's finale episode where the family gathered together to encourage and support little Mia, who was about to undergo her fifth surgery to correct her cleft lip and palate. The ten-year-old sweetly read a speech she had prepared for the event, sharing about life with a cleft palate and her faith - "My favorite verse is Psalm 46:10. 'Be still and I know that I am God.' I like this verse because whenever I feel sad or have struggles, I know that God is bigger than all of that. And He is bigger than any of your struggles, too," she read aloud.
Looking back on Mia's life, Missy says she can see God working to bring hope to others through her daughter. "We definitely see reasons for Him allowing us to go through this, and allowing Mia to go through the pain and the challenges that she has in her life. When I see her onstage in front of thousands of people at one time sharing her story, I think, I would've never done this as a 10-year-old child ... even with a facial impairment, Mia is up there in front of thousands of women who are taking pictures of her and putting them all over the Internet, and she's perfectly fine with that. She is great about it. She wants to help other people," she says.
Jase and Missy are thankful to have seen God's hand in their family's suffering, and share Mia's desire to help others. They have recently established the Mia Moo Foundation to help children with cleft lips and palates.
Watching the Lord work through Mia has encouraged Missy's heart, and she praises Him for it - "It speaks of ... the greatness of our God to see something in a child, long before she was born, that could help influence people and to bring them closer to Him." She wrote a song about Mia's life, below.
Angel Child by Missy Robertson:
"Newborn baby girl made an early entry to our world.
All our hopes were high, but you came with a surprise - and life took a turn.
You brought lessons to be learned, and your faith has made us see
You are perfect, you are beautiful, you were born to shine your light,
and show everyone they're precious in His sight.
You're a brave one, you are chosen to bring healing with your smile.
You are more than we imagined,
You are our Angel child."
