MUST READ

MUST READ
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.