An elderly Carpenter was
ready to
retire.
He told his Employer-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.The Contractor 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 in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work.
He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials.
It was an unfortunate way to end his career.
When the Carpenter finished
his work
the builder came to inspect the 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 know 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 to 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. 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."
Lesson
from the Story: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 of your attitudes
and choices you maketoday
ready to
retire.
He told his Employer-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.The Contractor 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 in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work.
He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials.
It was an unfortunate way to end his career.
When the Carpenter finished
his work
the builder came to inspect the 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 know 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 to 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. 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."
Lesson
from the Story: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 of your attitudes
and choices you maketoday
