Food For The Soul
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.
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