It was the first snow of that winter, and I headed out of my hotel for an early morning run. This was decades ago, but I still remember it vividly—the ground was covered with a thin blanket of white and everything seemed extra quiet. It seemed a good environment to be in, because I’d awakened troubled about an important decision I needed to make, yearning for some clarity and direction.
As I jogged toward a nearby park, I passed a church with a sign that showed the pastor’s topic for that week’s Sunday sermon: “The Great Nevertheless.”
Catchy title. I began musing about what I might say if I were asked to share some ideas on that subject. Immediately I thought about what the Master, Christ Jesus, prayed in the garden of Gethsemane. He was preparing to undergo the severe experience of an unjust trial and cruel crucifixion. He said, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.” To me that meant he knew what he was about to face and didn’t want to have to go through it. Then he spoke what seemed to me like a perfect example of a great nevertheless: “Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt” (Matthew 26:39).
