UNTOLD STORY

This is deeply moving story that emerge new insight of life and very sophisticated story because it comes from marginal and vulnerable people whose presence is being denied by the society at large. We often consider them as countless one, but they are too far from our attention, our caring and our compasionite heart. However, the story tells a lot about you, me and us all - how should behave and treat other people as just the way the are. The story goes like this: “One day he is planning to retire from his job. 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 his paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by.

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 an unfortunate way to end his career.

When the Carpenter finished his work 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 know 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 to well.

Reflecting on this story, I can sense that it was with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important point 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 ourselves as the Carpenter. Think about our house. Each day we hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life we will ever build. Even if we live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity. The plague on the wall says, “Life is a do it-yourself project.”

Who could say it more clearly? Our life today is the result of our attitudes and choices in the past. Our life tomorrow will be the result of our attitude and choices we make today.

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