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The Parable of the Carpenter
by Michael Josephson

A master carpenter who had worked for the same builder for nearly 50 years announced that he wanted to retire. The builder told him how much he appreciated his work, and gave the carpenter a $5,000 bonus and asked him if he would build just one more house. The builder wanted to have a dream home built on a lot that he owned, which was a magnificent lot with a spectacular view.

The carpenter was bitterly disappointed at the small bonus after having worked for the builder for nearly 50 years, but he agreed to build the dream house anyway. The small bonus could be used to buy a small cottage for his own retirement.
The carpenter had always prided himself on his uncompromising commitment to quality, but resentment over this last job caused him to cut corners, ignore details, and accept shoddy workmanship from other workers. He even looked the other way when some of the workers substituted cheaper materials and pocketed the difference.

When the house was finished, the builder shook the carpenter's hand and, with a huge smile, gave him an envelope with a thank-you card and a folded piece of paper. The carpenter was disdainful until he unfolded the paper and found the deed to the house he had just built. The carpenter was ashamed to have misjudged his old friend and betrayed his own values, and he was remorseful that the house he would live in for the rest of his life had been made so carelessly.

What the story tells us…Our character is the house we live in and it is built piece by piece by our daily choices. Deceit, irresponsibility, and disrespect are like shoddy workmanship. Whenever we put in less than our best, and ignore our potential for excellence, we create a future full of creaky floors, leaky roofs, and crumbling foundations.
So put in your best, in everything you do.
[Source: Inspirational and General Reading from 1stholistic.com]

“Every action of our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity.”
By Edwin Hubbel Chapin