The Carpenter's House
An elderly carpenter was all ready to retire. He told his employer about his plans to leave the house-building bussiness and live a more leisurely life with his wife and extended family.
He would miss the pay check but he needed to retire. They could get by.
The contractor was sorry to see such a good worker go and asked if he could build one more house as a personal favour. The carpenter agreed 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 that he was building his own house, he would have done it so differently. Now he had to live in a home he had not built too well.
So it is with us as well. We build our lives in a distracted way, reactin rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points, we do not give the job our best efforts. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find out that we are now living in a house that 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. This 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' . Your life tomorrow will be the result of the attitudes and the choices you make today.
Author Unknown
I hope the above story has been inspirational and heart warming. I chanced upon it while surfing the internet and decided to share with you guys, my readers.
You must be the change,
you wish to see in the world
Mahatma Gandhi
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