It Came to Pass
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I’ve always been a fan of the King James version of the Bible. I know, I know; there are plenty of more accurate translations. But I can’t help it; sometimes the KJV expresses things with a certain turn of phrase that really makes the message sing, you know?
(I dunno; maybe it’s the inner Muse in me, struggling to get out. Maybe I should untie the poor fellow and see what happens. Or, maybe not.)
Anyway, for some reason a certain phrase kinda caught my eye the other day. Not necessarily one of the more significant ones (such as, “Thus sayeth the Lord…”); no, actually, this one is actually rather innocuous - “it came to pass”. Did you know that simple little phrase occurs 452 times in the King James Version of the Bible? Yep; sure enough! (Hey, maybe it’s not so insignificant, eh?)
Whenever I see it, though, I can’t help but connect it with something I heard from a previous Pastor, who happened to be speaking about enduring personal trials. “Even though your trials may have come to pass,” he’d said, “just remember, folks, they haven’t come to stay.”
That clever little turn of a phrase has always stuck with me, and believe me, it’s been quite the encouragement over the years. Every time I find myself in the midst of a trial of some kind or other (and believe me, they’re everywhere!), this phrase has always served as a comforting reminder - it’s only come to pass; it’s not here to stay.
The Smoking Car
Back in 2000, Mrs. MZM and I had the opportunity to visit Grenoble, France. We took a direct flight from Houston to Paris, of course, but since we knew it was in the mountains of southern France, we decided to take the train the remainder of the trip. Scenery, you know. (Alas, there aren’t too many mountain vistas available in Houston - unless you count the occasional high freeway overpasses.)
As it turned out, though, the trip was a bit harder to take than we expected. Oh, not because there wasn’t any scenery - believe me, there was plenty - but because it turned out we had bought tickets on a smoking car (sound of coughing and hacking)! Yuck!
Did I mention that neither one of us smoke? Unfortunately, I had simply forgotten to specify “non-smoking” when I purchased the tickets. (Needless to say, it definitely made the “lessons learned” list for next time!) Fortunately, it’s not something travelers need consider too much here in the U.S. any more - pretty much most transportation modes are non-smoking now.
Anyway, we spent something like three or four hours in this railroad car, and the smoke from the other passengers left us barely able to breathe. It was tough, lemme tell ya. It got so bad, Mrs. MZM had to get up periodically and go stand in the space between the cars every now and then to catch her breath.
The seats were arranged facing each other, like a series of booths in a restaurant. Naturally the fellow sitting opposite us was a smoker, but here’s the surprise - when he noticed our evident discomfort, he put his cigarettes away. Now there’s a random act of kindness! This so impressed us that we struck up a conversation with him.
He’d obviously overheard we were headed for Grenoble, and proceeded to tell us some of the places he thought we’d enjoy visiting. We also spent some time trying to learn how to properly pronounce “Grenoble”, although I don’t think we ever really got it right. (But you can read all about that in my post, Change the Focus, Change the Experience.)
The last 40 minutes or so provided some spectacular scenery, and finally the trip was over. At last, we could breathe freely again!
But what was so significant about the experience was that, because we handled ourselves well (at least in this gentleman’s eyes), we were able to enjoy the trip despite the overwhelming presence of *cough*cough* smoke - and make a new friend, to boot.
So What?
Now, granted, in the vast scheme of things, spending 3 or 4 hours in a smoking car on a train was a relatively easy trial to endure. I mean, it didn’t cause a serious health issue, no financial disasters occurred, and it had no lasting impact on the world at large.
But even so, it serves as a simple illustration of the principle that trials really have “come to pass”, and not come to stay. Trials, in truth, are there for you to grow. That’s their purpose. Once you’ve endured them, learned from them, and/or grown from them, they either move on - or you do.
Sometimes it helps to substitute the word “test” for the word “trial”. Now, think for a minute about the tests you took in school (sound of sobbing, as a particular Chemistry 101 course comes to mind).
OK, here’s a question for you. What’s the real purpose of a test, anyway? Who, exactly, is the test for? Yes, you in the back with the Groucho Marx nose-glasses on. What’s that you say?
Bingo! Right on the money - go to the head of the class!
That’s right; tests are for your benefit - no one else’s. Yep; you’re the one who needs to know what you know. In fact, if we’re goin’ for complete honesty here (and we always strive for that here at the Zone), then you may as well realize that, other than statistically, it simply doesn’t matter to your instructor.
No, when you take a test, its real purpose is to demonstrate to you how you’re doin’ in that particular subject, you know? And tests serve that function very well, if you ask me.
Now, let’s go back to the word “trials”.
What are trials for? Well, they’re for us to know how we’ll handle them. And how we handle them is what we need to know. What? Did you think God doesn’t know this information already? (After all, He is God, you know; you can’t surprise Him.)
Trials show us who we are.
Think About It
So what was the last trial you faced? Was it a surprise, or did you see it coming? (Bonus: Which way do you think is better?) Do you think you handled it OK, or was it, shall we say, “an opportunity for growth”? On a scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high), if you were being graded on your performance, how did you do?
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19 responses so far
Middle Zone Musings is a comfortable place to stop, have a cup of coffee, swap a few stories and share practical ideas for the real world. I don't ask for much, just a bit of your brain every now and then. Have a seat, take a load off, and relax...
The last big trial I faced was to lose my dear husband over one year ago. He died suddenly, so there was no opportunity to prepare for it (If I would have known that he would die, I would have said I’ll never cope with that). I had to rethink my life - to cope with the terrible loss, to think about my aims in my life. Fortunately I had some dear friends (I’m having them still) which helped me a lot. And I took the death of my husband as an opportunity for growth - I rediscovered my creativity - writing a blog, taking pics, even took to painting.
Ullas last blog post..Bavaria # 5 Landscapes - The Mountains
Oh, Ulla; so sorry to hear about your loss! Please accept my heartfelt prayers and condolences.
Life has taught me that trials help us to find ourselves in ways we never dreamed possible. The key thought is to never quit or give up. Keep going, take that next step, go just one more day - before long, you’ll find the narrow path broaden, and it gets easier.
I think what you’re doing - photography - is an excellent way to get your focus on the world around you. There’s so much to see and know and learn! Keep going, Ulla!
(Besides, your photos remind me of our own trip through Bavaria long ago - 1970)
It’s painful to hear Ulla’s story; those are the most difficult trials of all. My prayers go out to her as well. On a lighter note, it’s encouraging to remember that good things can come into our lives just as unexpectedly as bad things. (That’s why I love the ending of the movie Cast Away.) When one of my sales people was dejected because s/he lost a big order, I’d often say, “That’s OK, now you’re due for something great to happen.” And it always did!
Brad Shorrs last blog post..Thank You, Commenters
I loved that ending too, Brad: the blank slate of the future stretching before him in all directions. Endless possibilities galore! And all because of the worst experience of his life.
In a way, undergoing trauma or defeat actually primes us for victory, I think.
I recently read an article about how many famous people suffered tremendous failure at least once in their lives - but it made them consider a completely different path, where they ended up a huge success. Life can be funny like that, you know?
Robert, I am partial to King James too. There are just certain verses that seem more powerful. Although I also have other versions. This “come to pass” message was tailor made for me (isn’t God awesome in that way!). If God gave me a sneak preview of 1/10th of my trials, I’d hide under the bed like a whimpering idiot! My old pastor used to say you can’t have a testimony without a test. I can’t say I always rejoice in trials but God always shows up and I am ALWAYS reminded of how much I grow during the difficult times.
Ulla, I have been in your shoes and my thoughts and prayers are with you. If you ever need a friend, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Karen
Karen Swims last blog post..Are you a commitment phobe?
Glad to have been a help, Karen. It IS amazing how stuff like that works, isn’t it?
I’m with ya on the “hide under the bed” thing, too. Good thing God keeps some things a surprise.
Robert, as I read this, I have an overall impression… “I came to pass.” I do not approach things with failure in my head. If I have a trial, I want to pass through it. If I have a test I want to pass it… God opens the door and leads the way.
Robyns last blog post..Find Oomph in Creative Editing!
I love to read “The Message” a translation by Eugene Peterson with the help of Luci Shaw, a poet. Messages are coming through clearly in this version that I failed to see in the King James or New International Versions. Good thing there are many options out there for us.
Robyns last blog post..Find Oomph in Creative Editing!
Howdy, Robyn - excellent way to view trials and tests! For me, there’s only two acceptable outcomes: either it passes on, or I move on.
You ain’t kidding about options! I have no idea how many different translations there are now; not to mention the transliterations and others as well. Something for everyone, for sure!
Thanks for the comment!
Ulla,
As with other readers above, my condolences, heart and prayers go out to you in what must have been a trying time. I’m glad to hear that at least you had a positive attitude and held your head high what must have been a very trying time
Robert,
I like the New International Version myself - nice and easy for simple a simple lad like me to understand!
Cheers
Andrew
Andrews last blog post..Corporate Social Responsibility part 4 - Third Objection to CSR
I think it’s fascinating how the preferred versions reflect the personalities of the readers. Yet another way to celebrate the diversity of the Body, you know?
Robert Hruzeks last blog post..It Came to Pass
[...] recent post from Robert Hruzek about the King James version of the Bible got me thinking about eloquence, and how it seems to be disappearing from the public square. Many [...]
[...] to subscribe to my feed. Thanks, and a tip o’ the hat to ya!A post I wrote the other day titled It Came to Pass annoyed goaded prompted my friend and fellow wordsmith Brad Shorr into responding with his own [...]
Thinking about @karenswim ’s comment about if I knew about 1/10th of the trials in my life, I totally agree. I think we sometimes forget what we would actually do with information ‘if we knew’. Besides hiding under a pillow, I think I would be in prayer almost constantly trying to get God to change His mind.
Great article Robert, but then they always are!
Vicky H
Vicky Hs last blog post..If 40 Is the New 30, Is 18 the New 8?
Great to have you drop by, Vicky! Yeah, I’d be cowering under the bed too! That’s why I prefer to let things just come at their own pace. Why rush it? :-\
Thanks for the complement!
Robert, I just knew that you’re a contributor in Faith in Workplace as well. Seems that you’re a devoted Christian, glad to know that =). And thank you so much for this message.
Robert A. Henrus last blog post..How to overcome limitations
You’re welcome, Robert! It was quite an honor to have this post chosen. Thanks for the kind words.
(This is first post ever - don’t know if I am formatting correctly)
The Lord has been sending me many messages on “testing”, I am trying to learn from them and move on the the next lesson! I am home-educating my teenage children and one (of the many) living parables I have gained is exactly what you expressed with looking at trials as a test. My heart was greatly encouraged when I realized that God lets me “re-test” when I fail - not as punishment - but to give me the opportunity to “pass on” - when my children fail a test (anything below a C means they didn’t really get the lesson) we go over all of the info, study some more, and re-test - then they are ready for . . . the next lesson (oh, and another test!!!). I would never ask them to pass a test on material they hadn’t covered yet. Thank you for being used of God to again reinforce this “lesson”.
christina
Why thank you, Christina; I’m truly honored! Sounds to me like you’re doing a fine job, though. And I respect anyone who decides to home-school their children. Quite an opportunity! Keep your chin up, and God will reward your efforts!