Anyone who knows Minsky, knows that he is an avid steel drum player. But what you might not know is that he is also an avid warrior for Christ. He shares his story here...
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I'm from the island of Trinidad, and I come from a big family. Though
I have two brothers, we grew up in different households, so for the most part,
I grew up as an only child. My
grandmother had 16 children, so there were always tons of cousins around me, and
I was surrounded by a lot of love by uncles and aunts.
I would
characterize my life as one that's been filled with happiness, and extensive
travels through being in the military and also working for a major airline (I
work on the ramp-- you know those guys with the orange wands?) My life is also defined by spirituality--
knowing what it is to have a relationship with God. I've had a lot of positive experiences that have
helped me to keep a happy demeanor.
What would you describe as your
God-given life purpose, and how did you discover it?
My
God-given life purpose is not so different from everyone else's. In the scripture it says that "You are
the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14). You have to shine your light, like
a beacon on a hill. The great thing
about God is that He's not a respecter of persons, so He gives us all the
ability to reach and touch and to serve Him.
You don't have to be in a particular office to be in touch with Him. But, when you do reach for Him, He reaches
back to you, and blesses you, and puts things along your path.
Growing up,
I never really had an interest in music.
And though I was familiar with the steel drum, an instrument created in
Trinidad, I wasn't interested in playing it back then. I left Trinidad when I was 5 years old, and
moved to the United States. Years later,
when I got to high school, I was reintroduced to the steel drum through a music
class. That was the first time that I got hands on
experience with it. The class had such a
positive impact on me, that it made me want to discover more about the history
of the steel drum. Identifying with the
steel drum made me proud of my Caribbean heritage. In playing it, I discovered my culture, and I
also discovered that I had a musical talent-- a musical gift from God.
Playing the
steel drums is also what got me into college.
I didn't read music, I started playing music later than most others, I
didn't have a strong academic program, and I was 25 years old-- BUT, I got into a division one music program
because I could play the steel drums.
While
there, I was blessed to bump into a grass roots college ministry. That is when I developed my whole spiritual
life. Growing up, I had followed a
patterned and structured religion, in which we'd follow a script on how to respond to what the priest said. But I thought to myself, "There's
more that I want to say to God". So
I joined a Pentecostal church, where I found a more open style of worship and
praise. There, I actually felt more
connected to God. In that environment, I found it a lot easier to ask the
desires of my heart, and to ask God who
He is, and what it is He asks of me.
My pastor
welcomed me to play the steel drums in church as part of the service. When the members welcomed it, it was like
getting a pat on the back from a parent.
I had a purpose in playing the music.
While playing in that church environment, I was continuously learning. At first, I was learning the songs just to
play them at church. But over a period
of years, I realized that my music was a ministry, because of the way that it
affected people in and outside of the church.
My approach is to have a light where I can touch other people. I learned this through being around other spiritual people, getting involved in the church, and reading and having a desire to want to know God personally. I started seeing in myself that my purpose is to be a light unto others-- not necessarily to be an evangelist-- but just to continue seeking Him, and consciously representing Him. I know that if I keep consistent in my walk, then people will keep watching and recognize that God is in my life.
After you discovered your purpose,
what did you do to bring it to fruition, and what has that experience been
like?
I developed
the technical side of my music. I got
gigs, performances, and invitations to play.
It was easy to practice, improve the repertoire, and learn a bunch of
new songs, and be ready to play. On the
flip side, however, I didn't continue to read or study the Bible as much, or
make a conscious effort to reject un-Christian behavior. For a while, that lifestyle worked for me,
because I could just show up and play the music and no one could see what was
going on in my spiritual life. But
eventually, I thought to myself, "These playing opportunities are coming
because of the opportunities to minister.
God has blessed me. And without
His blessing, I wouldn't be getting all of these playing opportunities".
I recognized that God had been showing me favor in opening doors for me. Anyone can get a gig. But the way that I was getting the gigs is what showed me that it was His blessings. I would be invited to play in places like Florida, where steel drum players are a dime-a-dozen. Yet I would be invited from out of state to play. At different churches, they would have viable music departments, but still God would open up those doors and people would receive my music ministry there.
I recognized that God had been showing me favor in opening doors for me. Anyone can get a gig. But the way that I was getting the gigs is what showed me that it was His blessings. I would be invited to play in places like Florida, where steel drum players are a dime-a-dozen. Yet I would be invited from out of state to play. At different churches, they would have viable music departments, but still God would open up those doors and people would receive my music ministry there.
What's the next level to which you'd
like to live out your purpose?
I want to
produce a gospel steel drum album.
So far, it
seems that everything that I'll need to bring this effort to fruition has been landing in my lap!
For
example, all of the musicians that I'm going to need to play a part in this
album are co-workers that I found at my
job. I've known them for years, but until
we started talking music, I didn't know that amongst them were singers, bass
players, drummers, and keyboardists that all performed gospel.
There are a
lot of Christian musicians out there that play the gospel, but don't want to
live the gospel. So as I approach this,
I want to grow in my spiritual life, so that it transfers into the music that
I'm producing. In a lot of churches that
I play in, people tell me that the sound of the steel drum calms them and puts
them in a very reflective mood. If in
playing the steel drum I can glorify God and celebrate God and help His people
get into a mindset in which they'd like to reach out and embrace Him more, then
by all means, I'd like to do that!
Putting out
a CD is a way of using the gifts that He gave me. I'm a big supporter of people being able to
attain financial increase through their gifts and talents, so that they can use
the increase to help the kingdom of God.
So far, I've been using the money from playing to help different
ministries in church. I've made a
conscious effort to sow in the direction that I want to grow. I sow in my tithe and in my time. In addition to performing at church, I also
help with video editing. You take care
of the kingdom of God and "all of these things will be added unto
you". I stay involved in church,
helping to build God's kingdom, and along the way, He blesses what I'm
doing. It all works out together.
What words of encouragement do you
have for others who are still seeking out their life purpose?
Build a
spiritual relationship with God. If you
do, then you won't get discouraged as easily when things aren't flowing as fast
as you think they should, because you'll have the peace of mind and heart that comes
with that relationship with God. You can
feel confident in approaching God in Jesus name, asking Him for the desires of
your heart. You'll find guidance and
direction from Him. Even if you already have a life goal, your relationship with Him will help you
discover if it's truly a goal worth pursuing.
When you have a spiritual connection with God, you recognize that
there's nothing you can do that will catch Him by surprise. So, even if you continue in a given
direction, and it ends up being the wrong direction, you trust that He'll help you
get back on track, guiding you down the right path.
Minsky Delmonte is a festive,energetic, solo steel drum musician whose repertoire draws from original compositions and a wide variety of musical genres. His friendly and lively stage presence will uplift you, make you tap your feet and bring a smile to your face. For more information about Minsky's music, visit http://www.hearsteeldrumsplay.com
Thanks so much for sharing your story here at Unstuck and Unstoppable, Minsky!
We pray for continued strength in your walk with Christ, and in your efforts with music ministry.
To everyone else, thanks for visiting!
Hugz,
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