An
elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer, a building
contractor, of his plans to leave the house building business and live
a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He
would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by.
His
employer was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could
build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes,
but it was easy to see that his heart was no longer in his work. He had
lost his enthusiasm and had resorted to shoddy workmanship and used
inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.
When
the carpenter finished his work and his boss came to inspect the new
house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter. "This
is your house," he said, "my gift to you."
What a shock! What a
shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would
have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had
built none too well.
So it is with us. We build our lives in a
distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less
than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best
effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and
find that we are now living in the house we have built for ourselves.
If we had realized, we would have done it differently.
Think of
yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer
a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only
life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more,
that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity.
The plaque on the wall says, "Life is a do-it-yourself project."
Who could say it more clearly?
Your life today is the result of your attitudes and choices in the past.
Your life tomorrow will be the result.
elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer, a building
contractor, of his plans to leave the house building business and live
a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He
would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by.
His
employer was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could
build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes,
but it was easy to see that his heart was no longer in his work. He had
lost his enthusiasm and had resorted to shoddy workmanship and used
inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.
When
the carpenter finished his work and his boss came to inspect the new
house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter. "This
is your house," he said, "my gift to you."
What a shock! What a
shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would
have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had
built none too well.
So it is with us. We build our lives in a
distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less
than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best
effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and
find that we are now living in the house we have built for ourselves.
If we had realized, we would have done it differently.
Think of
yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer
a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only
life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more,
that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity.
The plaque on the wall says, "Life is a do-it-yourself project."
Who could say it more clearly?
Your life today is the result of your attitudes and choices in the past.
Your life tomorrow will be the result.
