Monday, May 3, 2010

Building Your House

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"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 & 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!"



~Anonymous~
~Tidbit~
I have a great carpentry tip for carpenters that swing their hammers frequently, swing with your wrist and not your forearm. Let the wrist do all the work.

12 comments:

  1. Christine, that story hits sthe nail on the head. It is so very true. Sometimes, we forget that WE are building our lives every moment. Sometimes, we want to blame "others" for our fix, but it is our "house". LOVE this reminder! Thank you.

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  2. A wonderful story! Very timely. I was talking to my son recently about how we have to "own" the decisions that we make. The ultimate consequence is ours. No sense in making excuses or blaming bad luck (even though some of those things may be true)...because ultimately the end result is ours. We are responsible for the end result (by the grace of God).

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  3. That was a great post. Not too long, but packed full of strong message. May I use that in my prison Bible lesson today, Christine?
    Debbie

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  4. Debbie,
    Please use this story!!
    I posted it to share.
    Tell me more about your prison Bible study, please.

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  5. Great post, Christine. Very thought-provoking.

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  6. Christine,
    Thank you for sharing such a meaningful story. It gives me so much to think and ponder on. You are special!
    Dee Dee

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  7. Hi Christine,
    I really enjoyed your post today. I'm going to share it with my son....words to live by as he embarks on a new chapter in his life.
    Jane

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  8. A good lesson to ponder when one is on the verge of retirement. I am pondering . . .

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  9. Growing up in the world of construction, this is the best construction story I've ever heard. So much wisdom in it, and thought provoking substance. Sometimes we are too busy to take the time to stop and think about things like this. Great post!

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  10. What an insightful story. How true it is. I'd like to share it with my kids and maybe they'll think as they mature just what kind of a house am I building?

    Have a great weekend,
    Nannette

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