Bernie Pokorski
So long, Dear George, you are my friend A true friend you are, and have always been You led me to Jesus, in your own simple way, We will meet again in heaven, on God's Glorious Day. I first met George at work on a Spring day in 1982. A few days later we were teamed up, with George as the Welder and me as his Fitter Apprentice. Working together, George and I became fast friends, and that friendship at work soon flowed over into our lives 'off the job'. Soon after we began working together, George came over to my car early one morning and invited me to sit with him in his welding truck. We both liked to arrive at work early, in order to have time to relax a bit before starting our work day. As I sat down in George's truck, I noticed a well-used Bible between us on the truck's seat. We began talking about the job, and soon George asked me: "Boy, have you ever read any Scripture"? I replied: "No, with my having been raised and schooled as a Catholic, I was always told not to read The Bible, as it would just confuse me". Then George asked: Would you mind if I read a Chapter of Scripture to you"? I said; Go ahead on", so George read a Chapter of Romans to me…. ( I learned later on that Romans was George's favorite book of The Bible). After the reading, we discussed what that chapter of Scripture meant to us. Those morning Scripture sessions in George's truck became part of our daily routine, whenever we were working on the same construction job. I know now that the Holy Spirit was guiding us into a long, Christian friendship. George retired in the Spring of 1987, and moved away to Sacramento, CA. Whenever possible, I would drive up to George & Betty's home in Sacramento on a day off work to visit them. They always welcomed me as if I were family, and our relationship grew even stronger over the years. I retired in March of 2004, and kept in touch with George & Betty, visiting them every so often. In 2006, my wife and I moved to Grass Valley, CA, about an hour's drive from George & Betty's home in Sacramento. Betty passed away in 2007, so I made it a point to visit George more often. My own father passed away unexpectedly when I was eleven years old. I had a stepdad for a while, but we never really got along too well. George was just two years younger than my own father, and over the years I began to think of George as a replacement for my own father, who I had lost so many years before. I shared with George that I saw him as God's replacement for my own dear, deceased father, and he told me that meant a lot to him. Around May of 2016, George and I came to 'a parting of the ways' over a misunderstanding during a phone call, and the last thing that George said to me was "I don't ever want to talk to you again"! He hung up on me. I thought about trying to mend our relationship in several ways, but everyone one that I asked about that told me "to let it lie", which I did. I did not want to cause George anymore anger or duress, but I always hoped that he would reconsider and call me someday… that call never came. Strangely, last Saturday morning, March 17th, I suddenly awakened from sleep at 6:10 AM, with the distinct revelation that George had passed away. The following day, I was truly Blessed when his Granddaughter Victoria phoned me on Sunday, March 18th to inform me of George's having "Gone home to Jesus" on March 15th. Victoria gave me the details of the funeral arrangements regarding George's earthly remains. Attending those events brought closure to my anxiety over our relationship having faltered. I look forward to my reunion with George and my other loved ones in God's Glorious Heaven, until then, I have only fond memories of my times with George here on earth.