Most people lack an idea of the workload required when constructing a house. If you happen to live in a rented house or a house that belongs to somebody else, you might not appreciate the work behind designing a building. Any person who decides to construct a house is very cautious to ensure quality materials are used because that is an investment they make. No one invests in the construction of a house and wishes that it collapses soon.

Construction of a house will require the owner to search through various designs to decide on the design to adapt. The design choice may be influenced by the house designer, the family, the society and even the current trends. After choosing the design, planning will follow to ensure the timelines are set. It is critical that planning is conducted to ensure a smooth process. Eventually, after planning for other issues, a budget will be made to determine the amount the building will cost as well as how the investment will be funded.

Constructing a Strong Foundation

For every construction, setting the foundation is the most critical step because the foundation will determine whether the building will stand the test of time. A house built on a strong foundation will last longer as compared to a building built on a weak foundation. A story is told of a construction worker who upon nearing his retirement was given the task of constructing the final house by his employer. 

Knowing very well that he would never construct another house, he decided to do the work haphazardly so that his employer’s reputation would be ruined. He had become jealous that the employer has achieved great milestones in the construction industry even without having to do the manual work which was the employee’s strongest skill. Instead of using strong stones for the foundation, he built the house on a weak foundation that he was sure the building would not last a year without collapsing but he never cared because he would be long gone.  The most interesting part of that story was that the employer did not even go to look at the house because he trusted the worker. He organized for his worker a farewell party and praised his quality work over the years since he had brought numerous successes to his construction business.

Do you know what gift he gave to his employee? I am sure by now you can already guess and yes your guess is right. In a box was the house key to the last house he constructed with a note beautifully written “My dear employee, over the years you have been a key pillar in the success of my business by ensuring you gave out quality results. By bringing many clients to our organization, you have proved that you are worthy of this gift.

This is the key to the last house you constructed so that you will always feel proud of your work and always tell a story about our organization. I have not even looked at it but I am certain it is perfect for you because I trust your skills and quality work which you have never compromised. Do not entertain any thoughts that you do not deserve it because I planned for it long ago. I know it’s a huge surprise but I hope you and your family live there happily and peacefully.”

Construction lessons from the story

Imagine what you would be feeling if you were the employee and you just completed reading the letter. You would wish to turn the clock back and construct that house with the best materials and employ your best efforts and skills. Knowing very well that you would not tell your employer that the house is not good and you realize you had an opportunity to better your status but you never did. Similarly, life will present diverse opportunities to you and you may not realize it until you have squandered it and left with regrets.

Repairing the cracks in life

If you happen to notice a crack on the wall of the building you are living in, the most obvious and common thing to do is to look for someone to nicely fix the crack. When it is nicely patched and even painted, no one would ever guess that there was a crack in the first place. What if after some weeks there is another crack and you still patch it up but the problem reoccurs and eventually the building collapses? You eventually realize that the crack was not the problem and only a sign of a deeper problem. Instead of looking out for the bigger problem, you were blinded by fixing the crack to ensure the house still looks good.

Reflections in Life

Sometimes you never realize that you are patching up the cracks in your life until it is too late and the entire building comes down crashing on your shoulders.  You need to look into your life and ask these questions;

What are the cracks in my family? -It could be that your communication has slowed down. Perhaps the real issue is that you no longer have time for your family.

What are the cracks in my relationship? -It could be your insecurity feelings. Perhaps the real problem is that your relationship is not strongly founded on trust.

What are the cracks in my workplace? -It could be that you no longer enjoy going to work. Maybe the real problem is that you are stressed and slowly falling into depression.

How am I handling the cracks in my life? Am patching up instead of finding the root cause and fixing it.

Your angel is giving you this tip; “Do not let anyone tell you that you can live a life without facing storms because the truth is that no matter where you hide, the storms will come looking for you and they will find you. You only need to construct your life on a solid rock so that when the storms in life come knocking you down, you will overcome and remain standing up.”