As everyone knows by now, America lost a giant and sheer icon of American genius and innovation when Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, co-founder of Pixar and the “father” of the personal computer, passed away last month. Since his death the world has gained a sense of clarity about the life and legacy of Jobs – even beyond Apple and Pixar.
What has been the most insightful thing to me about Steve Jobs has been the timing of his most popular creations – the iPhone and the iPad. Both of these game changing inventions were conceived after Jobs learned he had pancreatic cancer. In a recent 60 Minutes interview with biographer, Walter Isaacson, Steve Jobs is reported to have felt that facing death focused him. Instead of wanting to go out, spend his money or get bogged down in trivial things, he spent his energy thinking about what he wanted to accomplish in his last days, specifically, getting the iPhone and iPad out, while he still could. In short, the confines of death became the driving force of his life.
I wrote a post about a year ago along similar lines. But the revelation of Jobs has brought me once again, thinking and asking, what could my life and marriage be like if I lived with a similar focus? How would your marriage be different if you lived and loved within the bounds of “imminent priorities”? Why wait until the end to begin getting the most out of life and marriage?
Wouldn’t it have been a shame if the best of Jobs would have gone to the grave with him? What if the iPhone just stayed a dream or thought inside of Jobs’ head or what if the iPad that I am typing this post on, never was? Likewise, wouldn’t it be a shame if we waited too late to get the best out our life and marriage? Where there are challenges or distance in your marriage – address them, get it on the table and grow together. Don’t put it off, don’t delay, for tomorrow is not promised. Your spouse is God’s greatest gift””enjoy them.
Don’t wait to enjoy your marriage! See the gift that your spouse is””today while you can. As I become more and more planted on the cusp of my middle-age years (hear the denial) the realization that tomorrow is not promised to anyone becomes more and more tangible. So appreciate the blessings and the faults of your spouse and work with what you have, while pressing toward better. Pray together, read together, enjoy passionate, intimate time together, talk it out, plan it out just don’t wait until the end to discover what could have been. Your marriage may be the greatest legacy you leave to your children””live it.
How about you BMWK family””what would you improve about your marriage and/or life if time was short?