Marriage: A Lifelong JourneySample

Epic Love in Marriage

In the blockbuster movie Titanic, audiences were infatuated with the love story between the main characters, Jack and Rose. It was a romance of such epic scope it could only exist in the movies, right? Well … not so fast.

Aboard the Titanic when it sank in the Atlantic Ocean’s frigid waters on April 15, 1912 were Isidor and Ida Straus. As the terror of that ill-fated journey unfolded, the couple knew that after forty years of marriage they were about to spend their last moments together. “Women and children first” was conventional protocol at the time, of course, which meant Ida would have to leave behind her beloved husband. But when the moment came, she refused, saying, “As we have lived, so we will die … together.” Numerous accounts of that night indicate the couple then settled into deck chairs and held hands, waiting for the inevitable.

The phrase “‘til death do us part” lies at the heart of traditional marriage vows. Unfortunately, its meaning has become more of a romantic novelty than a sacred, God-honoring commitment. And that’s why few couples are able to have in real life the marriage they’ve so often dreamed about. You see, the amazing love illustrated in the lives of Isidor and Ida Straus doesn’t magically arise in a moment of crisis. It’s the result of a husband and wife living out their love for one another and honoring their marriage vows each and every day.

For a daily dose of encouragement and perspective, check out Jim Daly’s blog, Daly Focus, at JimDalyBlog.com.