An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer- contractor of his plans to leave the house-building business to live a more leisurely life with his wife and enjoy his extended family. He would miss the paycheck each week, but he wanted 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 over 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 a dedicated career.
When the carpenter finished his work, his employer came to inspect the house. Then he handed the front-door key to the carpenter and said, "This is your house...my gift to you."
The carpenter was shocked!
What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently.
So it is with us. We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting less than our best into the building. Then, with a shock, we realize we have to live in the house we have built. If we could do it over, we would do it much differently.
But, you cannot go back. You are the carpenter, and every day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Someone once said, "Life is a do-it-yourself project." Your attitude, and the choices you make today, help build the "house" you will live in tomorrow.
Therefore, build wisely!
4 comments:
This reminds me of that joke in the doctor's office where the patient says,"If I'd known I was gonna live this long, I would have taken better care of myself."
This story is a little deeper than that I think. And here is an extraordinary coincidence; I went to the library yesterday to look for a book and it wasn't available so I browsed and picked up a little book called "If Life Is a Game, Then These Are The Rules." It's mostly about shedding mental baggage that's tied to your physical circumstances so you can go forward on your spiritual journey. The first chapter is "Everyone gets a body."
rocknyc..sounds like an interesting book.
I think we all have a lot of baggage we could do without. :)
I try to tell my Grandchildren that their choices today will determine their future. They, of course, don't believe a word of it. The future lies ahead, a path of infinate promise.
She..it is hard for them to grasp at an early age, I think.
I've always said that I wish that I knew now, even half as much as I thought I knew in my younger days! :)
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