The House You Build

I'll start with a story I shared one evening with the team as we reflected on the day's work at Jacob's Ladder in Ocho Rios, Jamaica:

====================
An elderly carpenter was ready to retire.  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 the 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 a dedicated career.

When the carpenter finished his work, the employer came to inspect the house.  He handed the front-door key to the carpenter. “This is your house,” he said, “my gift to you.”  The carpenter was shocked!  What a shame!  If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently.

So it is with us.  We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting less than our best into the building.  Then with a shock we realize we have to live in the house we have built.  If we could do it over, we’d do it much differently.  But we cannot go back.

You are the carpenter.  Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall.  Life is a do-it-yourself -project: your attitudes and the choices you make today build the “house” you live in tomorrow.

Build wisely!
====================

These children and this organization provide me the right material to build a house that I'm proud to also call a home.  Thank you for following us this week, your support in all of its forms, and the prayers and good thoughts you've sent our way.

Mustard Seed celebrates Thank You Thursday every week.  Even though it's a Sunday, as we head into Thanksgiving I'm thankful to each and every one of you (even though we may have never met)--as well as all of my teammates this year.  May God bless you and keep you all the days of your life.

Andrew aka Sweetie Mon (8th Year)