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 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 your attitudes and the
choices you make today.
