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 and 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 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. If we had realized, we would have done it
differently.
Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think of your life as the 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, do it to
the best of your ability."
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 and 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 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. If we had realized, we would have done it
differently.
Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think of your life as the 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, do it to
the best of your ability."
