It was eight or ten years ago, that I came up with the brilliant idea to take Elaine to see an exhibit at the Opryland Hotel for our anniversary. Before you roll your eyes and think what was he thinking, I need to hasten to add, she had a really great time. The exhibit dealt with the relics from the infamous Titanic voyage. For years that story has held an interest for both of us. The lives and dreams of so many who lost their lives in the North Atlantic is heartbreaking yet at the same maintains a certain intrigue about it. When we got to the exhibit you could hear the horn of the ship as it prepared for sea. We were greeted by a gentlemen dressed as the ships captain who welcomed us aboard the ill-fated ship. We were each given a replica ticket with the name of an actual passenger or crew member who, decades earlier, had embarked on the trip of a lifetime. As we walked through the display at our own pace, we were able to view pieces of silver dinnerware that the richest of travelers dinned from. There were other artifacts including an area that tried to give the feeling of being on one of the rafts where some had their lives spared. It was at the end of the tour that we experienced a most unforgettable twist. There was a large board which listed the names of all the passengers, including their status—first class, second class, crew. As we studied the list, we noticed that there was a line across the board dividing the names. Above the line were the names of those who were “saved” and below the line all those who were “lost.” Think for just a moment of all those who boarded the ship, not knowing their fate. It didn’t matter if they were rich or poor, working or vacationing, they were all destined to one fate or the other—lost or saved. It doesn’t make any difference how the world ranks your status. The only thing that ultimately matters is whether you are “saved” or “lost.” Jesus said, “What profit is it to man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26). As Elaine and I looked up at the huge board with 2,208 names on it, we realized that each of us had a name on our ticket. Did we “survive” or were we “lost?” What was our fate, would life go on for both of us or just one of us. Each name that we looked at on the huge board was a real person, with a real story. It couldn’t be altered or changed. It was what it was a harsh reality for some, for others it was an opportunity to live another day to experience more of life. Elaine said; “Look, I found the name on my ticket I am…..”
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com
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