“We Lived Together, So We Shall Die Together.”
In 1871, Isidor Straus, one of the owners of the R.H. Macy and Company department store, married his beloved wife, Rosalie Ida Blun. They were described as being inseparable and wrote to one another on a daily basis whenever they were apart. Their love for one another was strong, and on the evening of April 14, 1912, their love received the ultimate test.
You see, Isidor and Ida Straus were first class passengers on the RMS Titanic, and as we know from history, the Titanic struck an iceberg on that fateful night in April. When the realization that the ship was going to sink came to pass, the call was made for women and children to board the lifeboats (there were not enough boats to accommodate all of the 2,223 passengers aboard the Titanic). Ida refused to leave her husband’s side, and even when the officer filling the lifeboat gave Isidor the opportunity to board the boat with his wife, Isidor refused to leave the Titanic while the other men remained on board. As a result, Ida stated, “we have lived together, so we shall die together” and died with her husband when the Titanic sank on April 15, 1912.
What a wonderful example of what our love for our spouse should be. In Ruth 1:16-17, 
Ruth states her great love for her mother-in-law Naomi by stating she would follow her even until death. Such was the love shown by Ida towards Isidor.
In Song of Solomon 7:7a, Solomon speaks of the love he had for his wife, “Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it.” This scripture rings so true for this couple, for even in the icy waters of the Atlantic Ocean and in the face of certain death, Isidor and Ida’s love remained.
So should we all strive to love our spouses as the Strauses loved one another and as our Lord loved the church and gave Himself for it (Ephesians 5:25).
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Devotional, Michael Carter
on August 21st, 2008
