For more than twenty years, I have worked with and coached George, an unlikely acquaintance who became a dear friend years ago. Our beginning was difficult and filled with challenges. George was out of work and was desperate to meet with me; yet at the end of our meeting he decided that he would choose another coach to assist him. However, each month he would call me and ask questions about his job search. For some reason, even though I wasn’t his coach, I had a strong desire to walk beside him. His anger at his situation was undoubtedly negatively impacting his ability to land another position. He had to get past that.
Fast forward five or six months later and George asked to treat me to a cup of coffee at the local Panera Bread. He asked me to work with him for three weeks, promising to do whatever I asked of him. After telling him I would pray about his offer, he grabbed my hand and asked for me to pray for him right then, right there, in the middle of Panera. I did… and I agreed to help him… three weeks later he had landed a job paying more than he had ever earned in his life and our friendship started to blossom.
I continued coaching George, by this time lovingly called Angry George (a moniker he wore with honor as a reminder of his former jobless situation) for more than fifteen years. His life flourished and his career was more than he had ever hoped for. Upon his retirement, George decided to work at Costco – he just couldn’t stay home and do nothing. I had opportunities to meet his wife, Bobby, as well as his two boys, throughout the years.
Almost ten years into his Costco experience, we still had lunch every month or two and he would bring me up to date on the latest news in his life. He always thought that he stayed sharp by continuing to interact with me throughout the years. George truly was a changed guy, yet he still insisted on being called Angry George and every one of my clients knew our story and history together. They all felt like they personally knew George – and everyone always asked about him.
Earlier this year, on March 17th to be exact, I wrote about George and announced to our readers that he had been recently diagnosed with ALS, a terrible, debilitating, eventually terminal disease. George told me that he had leaned on me for twenty years or more, learning how to live well and strengthening his faith in the process. Now, he wanted me to teach him how to die well… I was shocked… as I told him then, I wasn’t a good hospice person. I was much more comfortable as a pastor/teacher.
We agreed to get together every week or two and I had a front row seat to watch his declining health throughout the months. In fact, I was disturbed by how quickly his health deteriorated. Eventually, he was unable to feed himself, was confined to a wheelchair and we had some of the deepest, best talks we had ever dared to engage in. He knew I would be next to him through the entire journey, no matter what.
I just never expected that his earthly journey would end last Thursday… Yes, he was declining… A week ago, he didn’t even want to talk – he just asked me to hold his hand for the hour we were together. I gladly obliged. I also prayed for him each time we were together. I have been visiting him every week the last month or so and last Tuesday George was dependent on oxygen. Although he seemed almost unresponsive, I held his hand and prayed for George, Bobby and the rest of their family. I asked God that if the time was near, I hoped that George’s entry into heaven would be painless and swift. Little did I think that my prayer would be answered within forty-eight hours.
Although ALS is different for each patient, I have never heard of someone who was gone barely eight months post diagnosis. Since Thursday, I have been reflecting on our unlikely friendship. I can say with confidence that we were both blessed beyond measure by knowing one another. Late Friday, I even received a call from Bobby asking me to be a pallbearer at his funeral, currently scheduled when his priest returns from out of town. I was honored.
I don’t even to know where to begin to tell you about my friend. Suffice it to say that our times were special, and at times, sacred. I hope that in some small way, George’s last months were made easier by our love for each other. How far we had come from where we started! Two incredibly unlikely people, from different worlds, who ended up as dear brothers in Christ.
I have clung to the knowledge that one of the ministries of angels is to escort believers into heaven. No believer dies alone… George and I used to talk about this and by now, George has already received his crown from God, having been escorted directly into His presence. Our verse for tonight is from the Gospel of John. The disciple who Jesus loved tells us the words of Jesus in John 14:3, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
My encouragement this evening is that Jesus will be with us throughout eternity, as He promises in the Scripture. My prayer is that we will all face our earthly end with the same dignity and Godly faith that marked George’s journey during his final illness. I have learned from him some of the things that he hoped I would teach him. That’s one of the remarkable things about our friendship. We took turns teaching and learning from one another. Godspeed, George, I’ll miss you until we meet again…Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…