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Something Better
By Rich DuBose
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| Rich DuBose |
I made a discovery when I was 17, while living with a friend in Carmel, CA. We had both dropped out of school and were intent on making it big in the music industry. Our rock group of four practiced in a garage studio in Pebble Beach (along the picturesque 17-mile Drive). We had good connections and a manager who seemed to know how to make things happen. But there was one problem. By design, God wasn’t in the picture. At the time, we didn't see that as a problem.
Having been raised in Christian homes, the lead guitarist and I both viewed the church as well-meaning, but irrelevant. To us, the church seemed obsessed with behavioral matters and was filled with hypocritical people. Unfortunately, there were a few teachers in a school we attended who modeled negative images of what it meant to be a Christian. In addition, the cultural climate of the mid-to-late '60s beckoned us to a “better” life that excluded God. We saw Christianity as an obstacle in our path to freedom.
Day after day we wrote songs, practiced and planned. We did some recording in a Monterey studio and looked forward to the day when we could move to London, England. In the late '60s and early '70s, many American bands were moving to Europe and being "discovered" there before coming back to the states to make it big. That was our plan.
As our time for departure neared, we traveled to Los Angeles to meet with an entertainment attorney to negotiate a contract. We were ready to draw up a contract that would require each band member to make a commitment to the enterprise for five years. I remember that being an unsettling thought. I liked what I was doing, but what if I wanted out after three years? The more I thought about it, the more I began to ask where my life was headed.
For some reason the contracts were not immediately drawn up, and we returned to Carmel to continue our planning and practice.
Second Thoughts
I begin to feel disillusioned when I saw that some of the individuals who had journeyed this path before me--successful musicians, actors and producers, were miserable. I remember being at a party where I was amazed with how many celebrities in attendance were “medicating” themselves with alcohol or drugs. That same evening I accidentally encountered a well-known movie star in the side yard throwing up by a tree. He could hardly stand up! I was struck by the elusiveness of happiness and contentment. How could these people, with all their fame and fortune, be so miserable?
As time passed, I begin to wonder if my understanding of God and Christianity had been distorted. Maybe I should give God another chance! Like the Prodigal son, I became disillusioned with my present course and longed for inner peace. On a trash pile in my friend’s basement I found the book Steps to Christ and took it on a camp out. The bass guitarist and I decided to enjoy a few days in the hills, so we hitch hiked through Carmel Valley to Pinnacles National Monument. While there, and reading Steps to Christ, I made the decision to fully surrender my life to God and to identify with his interests and purpose.
My discovery took me by surprise because I never dreamed I’d return to Christianity, let alone the church. But it finally dawned on me that Christians aren't perfect. A church is simply a group of people who have signed on to God's offer for a better life than the world offers. And really, the church isn't an end in itself, it is only a means to an end. The end is Jesus!
Suddenly, I realized Jesus had everything I needed! This discovery and my acceptance of Jesus started me on an incredible journey that has carried me farther than any earthly dream ever could. And I haven't needed to medicate myself to enjoy the trip. I am grateful to have made this discovery while still in my teens, and hope that if you have not yet found Him to be your Friend that you will in the near future!
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