The Builder

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. While he would miss the paycheck, but he still felt it was time to retire and spend more time with his wife.

The owner of the business was sorry to see his good worker leave and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor to him. The carpenter said, “Yes” but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not really 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 owner turned to the retiring carpenter and gave him the front door key. “This is your house, “ he said,” my gift to you!”

What a shock and 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 with less than our best. At important points, we do not give the job our best effort and then, with a shock, we look back at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had real wisdom, we would have done it so much differently.

Think of yourself as this carpenter. Think about the house you are building ... your personal home. Each day you hammer a nail, place a brick or erect a wall. Build it wisely! It is the only ”life” you will ever build. Even if you live in it for only one day, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity. The plaque on the wall say, “Life is a do-it-yourself project!”

Who could say it any 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 choices you make today.

Remember ... Choose and build wisely!