IT CAME TO PASS
 

By Wendy Yost

It came to pass.

Included over 400 times in the King James Bible

Several years ago, these four, short words came to mean a great deal to me and they’ve held that meaning ever since. I was in the midst of, what seemed at the time, a significant trial — things were not going as I had hoped they would on an important project. I confided in my minister, Rev. Brent Fletcher, and in his wonderful Southern accent, he kindly shared, “It came to pass”.

His softly spoken words did not register, and while I knew he was trying to assist me, I felt no relief. He repeated the words again, “It came to pass”. Still … no relief. Just a vague recollection of the phrase being referenced throughout the Bible and a sense of confusion mixed with a touch of growing frustration. Ever one to stick with a message until it is deeply heard and understood, Rev. Brent tried again. This time, his inflection was slightly different … 

“It came to pass”.

This time, I heard it and it registered and I was instantly awash with both relief and insight.

Insight that not only quieted the current chaos but also lent perspective to other perceived challenges I had previously experienced. As if with his words and the loving intention behind them, he somehow reshuffled time and made right long ago situations and incidents that I had misinterpreted. If you remain unclear of the distinction offered, try saying each of the phrases below slowly aloud:

[It] came to pass.
[It came] to pass.
It came [to pass].

As my eyes filled with tears of Truth, Rev. Brent added with a smile, “it didn’t come to stay”.

I exhaled a deep sigh of relief. And the sense that whatever “it” was, it came with a purpose and brought with it lessons to aid me on my spiritual journey. A whole new way of relating to events, particularly those that appeared as difficulties, opened up and now took on new meaning.

And yet, at the same time, all of the good that I had experienced to date also took on new meaning, as it too, came to pass. This realization left me very aware of the present moment and the many gifts it brings, if we allow it.

For regardless of whether moments are wrapped in trials or joys, God / Spirit / The Angels / The Universe / All That Is, is with us, always. And so our task then becomes allowing life to flow through us instead of resisting what is happening, choosing to trust the purpose yet to unfold and arise from the experiences we’re given — for they won’t be with us for long.