Sacrificial love

Of all of the heartwarming stories in American mythology (i.e.: George Washington and the cherry tree) there are some that are not only true, but remarkable in the lessons that they offer for our own lives. Consider, for example, the story of Wyoming’s bid for statehood which, from all accounts I have read, did indeed happen as recounted below.

Since 1869, women in the Wyoming Territory had been able to vote, even though it was not yet a right granted to women in the rest of the country. When the territory came up for statehood in 1890, there was concern that the suffrage issue might hold up the proceedings and prevent Wyoming from gaining full state status.

While the delegation of men were in Washington to present the case for statehood before Congress, some of the most prominent women in Wyoming politics sent a cable to their delegation telling them that they would be willing to give up their right to vote in order for the territory to join the union as a state. The men of Wyoming cabled back this short message: “Wyoming joins with her women, or not at all.” They held firm on their position before Congress and Wyoming was successful in its bid for statehood, female voters and all.

What a wonderful example of what marriage should be like. The sacrificial love of both parties is enormous: the women were willing to give up their rights so the men would be successful in their goal, and the men were willing to give up their ambitions for statehood so that their women would not have to give up their rights.

It kind of sounds like O. Henry’s classic short story, “The Gift of the Magi,” except that instead of being left with short hair and a watch-less watch chain, in the end of Wyoming’s story, both parties benefitted from the willingness of the other party to subvert their own needs for the betterment of the other.

If you are married, consider how you relate to your spouse. It can be so difficult in the age of individualism, where iPods, iPhones, and i-culture abounds, to truly put the needs of someone else above your own. But think about the kind of sacrificial love Christ offered for his bride, the Church, and then think about the kind of love and support that you can offer each other in your marriage. You may find that the benefits are far greater than the “losses.”