AND IT CAME TO PASS

As I stared out the passenger window of the truck, I thought, 'What if I die up here? This may be my last night ever!'

The roads in Alaska offer many opportunities for outdoor recreation at the top of the world. While simply touring Alaska's Highway's points of interest provides plenty of good hour’s worth of entertainment, the true recreational value lies just off the road. The ultimate outdoor destination, Alaska beckons with massive mountain ranges, deep forests, and stunning fjords and glaciers. Casual travelers seeking outdoor adventure find plenty of camping, hiking, and picnicking sites along the highway, but that's just the beginning.

Last summer my son suggested he and I go fishing. We could take a drive over to Willow via Hatcher Pass Road. I was prepared to ride over high mountain passes and on winding roads. I was prepared for roads so narrow that we had to stop and let on-coming traffic around; the high speed at which the he rounded hairpin curves; and roads that were unpaved for long stretches, no guardrails and almost vertical slopes just inches from our speeding wheels. I was not prepared though, to ride in something that passed everything slower than the speed of sound – around blind mountain curves!

The excitement and anxiety of what reminded me of an amusement park ride kept my heart skipping beats and my eyes wide open. I thought, 'What if I die up here?' and began to count all the possible ways we would go flying off the mountainside, not the least of which was the fact that my son had just finished working a 12-hour shift. What if he became sleepy? My mind was just too filled with "what ifs..." to find rest. I needed an antidote to worry.

Then I remembered five comforting words: "And it came to pass..." Not coincidently, the phrase is found throughout the Bible. It's an intriguing phrase..."and it came to pass." I've never read, "And it came to stay." It's always, "And it came to pass..."

Whenever I have encountered problems over the years, they came to pass. My anxieties and worries always proved to be temporary. In fact, I have forgotten most of the fears that once kept me awake at night. I've learned that most tough times and impossible situations eventually come to pass. And sufficient strength can be found for those few that may linger a while.

Besides, what could I do? We would arrive for the Morning Hatch, or not. Like New York Yankees outfielder Mickey Rivers once said, "Ain't no sense in worrying about things you got control over, 'cause if you got control over them, ain't no sense worrying. And there ain't no sense worrying about things you got no control over, 'cause if you got no control over them, ain't no sense worrying about them."

So I rested in the peace that, like most of what I worry about, this too will come to pass. I began to enjoy the rollicking ride, much like one would enjoy a roller coaster. And before long, we arrived at Willow Creek! We could see the Trout rising for the morning hatch. It was true; I had nothing to worry about. This, too, came to pass.

I suspect the same can be said about that problem that worries you.

Anchorage All Pro Dad