George Harding is gone……..

You may or may not know who George Harding was.  You probably don’t, unless you lived in Corbin, Kentucky, or worked on the railroad.  He wasn’t a Senator, or a Congressman, a civic leader, or celebrity.  He wasn’t extremely rich, or famous, he was something much better, a good man!  George Harding was my neighbor, three houses up the street.  He moved a way a few years ago, but we stayed in touch.  Every time I turned the corner to go to my house and he was in his yard, which was often, I would slow down roll down the window and we would chat.  He had a smile that could make your worse day seem to  melt away.  George was a good friend, a kind man, a humble man, a man that would always offer a hand, and always had a kind word for everyone.  He was a God fearing man, and good husband.  He wasn’t George Clooney, or George Forman, or George Washington.  I guess we need all those George’s but I think we need the George Hardings of the world a lot more.

The George Hardings of the world affect us on a daily basis. They cheer us up, they make us proud and they show us what is so great about living in a small town in the southern part of Kentucky!  The world will not miss George, but his friends and neighbors sure will.  His wife Edith sure will, because George made a difference.  He made a difference, and he wasn’t even someone you knew, and that was your loss.  More importantly if we do not live up to that standard of being “significant”, to those around us, it’s everyone’s loss.  When I think of George I’ll think about how someone, a lot of someones, are going to have to take his place, standing in the yard, being friendly, and making other peoples’s lives better.

Thank you George, for all those great moments that you lifted my spirits, I know a lot celebrating is taking place on the other side!

the pilgrim

1 John 4:11
Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.

2 John 1:5
I am writing to remind you, dear friends, that we should love one another. This is not a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning.