Topgun
member
An elderly gunsmith was ready to retire. He told his employer-manufacturer of his plans to leave the gun business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family.
He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by. The boss was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more custom gun as a personal favor. The gunsmith 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 an unfortunate way to end his career.
When the gunsmith finished his work and the boss came to inspect the rifle, the boss handed the gun to the gunsmith. "This is your gun," he said, "my gift to you."
What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own gun, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to own the rifle 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 that we would have done it differently.
Think of yourself as a 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." Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.
He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by. The boss was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more custom gun as a personal favor. The gunsmith 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 an unfortunate way to end his career.
When the gunsmith finished his work and the boss came to inspect the rifle, the boss handed the gun to the gunsmith. "This is your gun," he said, "my gift to you."
What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own gun, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to own the rifle 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 that we would have done it differently.
Think of yourself as a 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." Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.
