The
Apprentice
An elderly
home builder was known for his excellent workmanship, use of first rate
materials and amazing attention to detail. He was ready to retire and told his
apprentice of his plans to leave the house building business.
The
apprentice was sorry to see his mentor go and asked if they could build just
one more house together before he retired. The home builder said yes, but told
the apprentice that he would only work in an advisory capacity. This
project would be the apprentice’s from start to finish; the ordering of
materials, construction, and ultimately the profits from the sale.
The
apprentice thought about it long and hard about how much money the elderly home
builder spent in lumber and materials and decided he could save money and
increase his profits by ordering inferior materials. So he purchased
second rate lumber, electrical wiring, and other building materials. He thought
to himself, once I put up the drywall and add a coat of paint to the walls, no
one will know the difference anyway as long as the outside looks good. In
time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work and he resorted to
shoddy workmanship that could easily be covered up with paint, carpet and other
window dressings.
When the
apprentice finished his work, the builder came to inspect the house. His
plan worked, the elderly builder inspected the house, only able to see the
exterior, and complimented the apprentice on a job well done. He handed
the front-door key to the apprentice. "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 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 less than the best. At important points we do not give the
job our best effort. Then with a 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 realized,
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.
The plaque on the wall says, "Life is a do-it-yourself project."
Who
could say it 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 the choices you make today.
