The Carpenter's House

“The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear.” Socrates

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 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 such 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 house he had built so poorly.  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 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 only known, 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. 

I am looking at a wall with a sign mounted that reads, "Life is a do-it-yourself project... Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today."

Try to always remember this prayer:

Dear Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will; that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next. 

Amen

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