After many years of working for the same company 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. 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 this 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 in appreciation for your màny your of valued service. What a shock! What a shame! If he had only know he was building his his own house, he would have done it in all so differently.
Now He had to live in the home he had built not too well, but he only had himself to blame.
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 situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized that 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 doit yourself project** your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.