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The Carpenter
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 of today.Thanks to Sally Bahner
