房子建好后，老板过来看新房并交给木工一把钥匙，说：“这房子归你了，我送给你的礼物。”多么让人吃惊，多么让人羞愧啊！假如他知道在为自己造房，他会做得大不一样。现在他不得不住在自己建造的那所粗制滥造的房子里了。

我们又何尝不是如此呢？我们心浮气躁地打造生活，蓦然回首，才瞠目结舌地发现自己正住在自己建造的那所房子中，自食苦果。“生活正如一项为自己打造的工程。”还有什么比这更清楚的呢？明日的生活，孕育于你今天的态度和抉择之上。

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely¹ life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by.

The employer 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 and the employer came to inspect the house and 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 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 acting², 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 erect³ 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 plaque⁴ on the wall says, "Life is a do-it-yourself project." Who could say it more clearly? Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.