A Builder Or a Wrecker

As I watched them tear a building downA gang of men in a busy townWith a ho-heave-ho, and a lusty yellThey swung a beam and the side wall fell

I asked the foreman, "Are these men skilled,And the men you'd hire if you wanted to build?"He gave a laugh and said, "No, indeed,Just common labor is all I need."

"I can easily wreck in a day or two,What builders have taken years to do."And I thought to myself, as I went my wayWhich of these roles have I tried to play?

Am I a builder who works with care,Measuring life by rule and square?Am I shaping my work to a well-made planPatiently doing the best I can?

Or am I a wrecker who walks to townContent with the labor of tearing down?"O Lord let my life and my labors be That which will build for eternity!"

- Author Unknown