This man

This man is the hardest worker I have ever, hands down, ever met.  I've known this to be true for 24 years I've been with Mike.  He will be 46 next month and he doesn't slow down.  I know there are times he wishes and longs for things to just be easier, less physically demanding.  He literally works from sun up to sun set and I never hear him complain - ever.  I occasionally hear frustration in his voice, but he never complains.  Last week we finally got a concrete apron for our driveway for the boys to play basketball on. Mike ordered his boys a very nice basketball hoop, compliments of their nana.  Mike never seems to get "easy jobs."  The hoop arrived two days ago and Mike's didn't have anything scheduled for Cornerstone so he has spent all day and evening getting this hoop ready which has required him to rent an auger, pick the auger up, use the auger to dig a 4 foot hole, which only got the job done halfway.  When Mike drove all the back to Bloomington to return the rented auger he came home to start manually digging a hole through all the clay, yes clay!  When he got the hole big enough he had to physically get into the hole and dig out the gravel by hand at the bottom (see picture above).  It's November in Central Illinois, it's cold and wet.  Yesterday afternoon Mike took a 30 minute break and I rubbed him down with icy hot, but after that he was back at it, until dusk and rained stopped him.  Today he picked up and unloaded 30 bags of 80 lbs concrete bags.  Normally the boys help him but he got it done today while they were in school.  This man never ceases to amaze me.  He is relentless in his love for his family.  Life hasn't been an easy road for him, but I have no doubt that one day when he stands before God, Mike will hear the words, "Well done good and faithful servant, you used all the talents and abilities I gave you, well done."