I received a text the other day with a couple of photos from the pastor of the church I grew up in. Apparently, one of the seasoned saints in the flock had found a couple of pics of me and some friends playing music in a "band" for some church event outside in the parking lot. This was 1973 and I was 10 years old... that's right, playing in a band in 4th grade (I think we called ourselves The Halos). There were 6 of us all together and 3 of us played acoustic guitar and all of us sang . We did some songs of the day ( I think some Larry Norman and stuff like that) including "Band On The Run" and "Pieces Of April". That's right, doing secular hits of the day in the church parking lot. That probably explains why we were in the parking lot to begin with. That was a pretty radical concept for the times. Anyway, I was the youngest of the bunch and when I saw these pictures, aside from picking up what was left of my jaw hitting the floor, it struck me that this experience from years ago has been part of this long path that has me where I am now, almost 40 years later. This whole thing started with me picking up a guitar at age 7 after watching my brother in law, Bob, playing and singing with my sister. I would just watch his hands and what he was doing and after he left, I would pick up the old beater guitar my Dad had and never played, and simply imitate what he was doing. The funny thing was that it came so easy for me and within a year or so, I was astounding my family by being able to play the chords and sing to almost any record my sisters had or what was on the radio at the time. This is at 8 years old. When I was 9, my folks stepped up and bought me a "new" acoustic guitar. This one played way better and sounded way better and I thought I was ready for the big time. This is the guitar in the pictures below. This same guitar I still have and I actually use it from time to time for a "lo fi" sounding acoustic on the records I produce. I never would have imagined it when I was standing there in that parking lot when someone snapped these photos. When I started playing at the age of 7, I have often wondered what the motivation was. It certainly wasn't picking up girls or being a rock star at that point (although it certainly became that in later years, but God was gracious). When I look at this, I pretty much think it came down to the providence of God and part of His plan for my life, seeing as He knows from end to end. When I look at this guitar and this young boy in the pic, I think of where He has led me. I ended up with nice guitars and big loud amps, perfect for any rock star experience. I have played in front of thousands of folks, everything from stadiums to cruise ships, from clubs to MTV, from county to country, and outdoors in parking lots... He brought me the most beautiful wife I could ever want, who in spite of settling for me as a poor mans substitute for Peter Frampton, has loved and stood with me and my guitar. God gave me 3 beautiful daughters, all who love music and Him. He gave me 2 amazing guitar playing son-in-laws, who care for my daughters and my children's children. I never would have dreamed it on this sunny day in the parking lot, but then again, the lesson for me in all of this is I can't underestimate what God has in store next. Maybe we'll all get together as a family and do a parking lot show...
