Woodstock '69 - "Fail" as the Providence of God

Yea I was one of those guys! In the early 70's there were many of us who said - "Yea I almost went to Woodstock,

No, but really I almost went!

I was 1 hour away from departing with my friend Wayne O'Brien. Here is how it went for us. It was really Wayne's idea. He knew about the concert and all of the hoopla surrounding it. It was a summer afternoon. We were hanging out on our little suburban street corner, just talking trash as usual. I was getting ready to start Football Practice on Monday.

Wayne said: "Do you wanna go to this concert this weekend?"
Me: "Who's playing?"
Wayne: "Lots of guys: Johnny Winter, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and others I don't really know!"
Well I thought Johnny Winter & Jimi Hendrix were the coolest, They were hip & really groovy! So I said: Where is it?" Without batting an eye he said: "New York."
With all of the courage that I could muster I said "How would we get there?"
Wayne said, "Hitch." (which of course meant get out on the road with our thumbs in the air & wait until someone picked us up). He continued: "It'll be a cinch, everybody's doing it."
Me: "Are your folks cool with it?"
Wayne: "Oh yea as long as I show up for school in September, they don't care what I do. How about yours."
Me: "Oh yea, they won't even be home until later tonight. As long as I'm back for practice, they'll be fine! I'll leave them a note."

So he went home to pack, I did the same. We agreed to meet in about an hour. Now I have to say: I HAD NO IDEA WHAT I HAD JUST COMMITTED TO DO! I had been to a couple band concerts in downtown Richmond. Woodstock was something else all together! It was not even in NYC. It was way up in upstate New York! My parents would have gone berserk!

About a half hour past when we were supposed to meet. I saw Wayne's mom's car coming towards me - I really thought: "Cool, Wayne got us a ride." She stuck her head out of the window and said: "Wayne, won't be joining you on your trip." It seemed to me (as an astute 15 year old) - "Hmm, Wayne made her think it was my idea." Then she turned around and went back down the street.

Well, I had no idea how to get to Woodstock. I probably would have ended up in Woodstock, VA. So I just went back in my house unpacked my stuff, tore up the note and went on with my day-to-day. Until Saturday morning when I saw the Headlines of the Richmond Times Dispatch: "Concert Shuts Down Upper New York State" - with a picture of THOUSANDS of rockers listening to Country Joe & the Fish (one of the Woodstock acts).

Now how does this 'epic-fail' relate to the providence of God?

In 1969, my main concerns were Football, Girls, Music, Food & Friends. God was nowhere in my mind. Not even a blip on the screen, as far as I knew! It was that Fall that Coach Bill Bosher came to a few of us and said he wanted to start an FCA chapter at Tucker High School. I became "Chaplain" of that 'Huddle'. Two years later I met Doug Holladay who introduced me to the Gospel. Which has led to this 38 year journey of walking with Jesus Christ.

But I was thinking recently: What if Wayne & I had gotten away from parents, Virginia and gone to Woodstock? I am not sure my path would have led so directly to Jesus.

Oh yeah I understand providence and the fact that God had already chosen me (YEAH God!). But what a different 'Long Strange Trip It would have been' (thank you Jerry Garcia).

God had other plans for me! I am convinced that by staying in Richmond that August day I missed a great concert, but God in his infinite wisdom allowed me to walk into his presence a couple years later. If I had gone to Woodstock - it would have been a different route.

God's sovereignity is sure, but circumstances are interpretive.