~How a homeless man and his devoted partner assisted me in overcoming my~ ~spiritual depression~568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrvExUYaVAO
By: Marion Bond West
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I couldn't understand why exactly, but lately I've been feeling distant from God, like he doesn't hear me. A case of spiritual blues, I guess. 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZRCekIMsG
The scorching heat didn't help — August here in Georgia 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtxb1gTMZb5
can be downright unbearable. It was 100 degrees today and 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ172BMKlHNO
was pretty sticky. I turned the car's A/C on full blast 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrVfTGwb34h
and was ready to do my chores and head home. Then 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLRRBKmv3yd
I saw a dog. 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjO7P4qB9z5
He lay on an empty army green bag right next to the Applebee's restaurant and walked around. There is no shadow. 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkyUi5IWzaB
Asleep, or at least I hoped he was. He could have 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPDEIijaVMW
died in this heat! I went in and found a parking space. 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsdtAzDajej
Then I hurried to the dog. I bowed. "Hey buddy. Are you 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj1VC5dpM6O
thirsty?" 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXN7DBWaDDz
I love dogs and they love me. But this one—he was 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVyhDb0OYQ3
of medium height, black, gray around the muzzle—568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzOW58U61Y7
opened one eye, closed it, and turned his head away from me. On purpose. His tail did not slide. 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwsDZitkFGe
He had a collar and by the way was guarding 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNJ6UydD46h
's bag, I thought he was waiting for his owner 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡql835qgdZd
who was undoubtedly sitting in the air-conditioned condition of the restaurant! 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcikiTTnp9i
I stormed into Applebee's ready for battle. Immediately at 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIbzPaXGkhB
I noticed the owner. He sat alone at the counter, 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9A7WGBkiii
a tall glass of iced tea in front of him. Long wavy blonde 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRcmiOCGAVf
hair and beard. Skinny, how he can't always have enough 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJbG0FvFgxs
to eat. He wore jeans that had seen better days, 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMQVWQm5G1I
, but they were clean, although his arms had the faintest of 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlGhREVBGTk
paint stains. He seemed to sense my 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqrNIBKVnqf
approach and turned the stool towards me.568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy9joWZZLgT
"Is that your dog?" I insist. 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh6IRLkGB7w
"Yes, ma'am, he is." 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLBxGzupJ6G
"He's out in the sun and has no water. I think he's 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXwjlbSoqgL
hungry too." I must have raised my voice because about 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9OY1Lw7BcR
people looked at me. "Dogs like me, but he wouldn't even open both eyes when I talked to him." 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj93o1MmRGI
The man smiled slowly and lightly. He slipped off the 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4tVRZYlsto
stool. "That's because he wasn't properly 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWgtLYD4YQi
introduced to you. Don't bother. I'll do the honors." 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwaKr9i7FtU
Introducing? I followed him outside. 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRm4N9ZJoeE
He crouched next to the dog, which was sitting up and 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8lHHPHqZPr
turned his eyes to the owner. His tail came to life. 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyDY60UN5TY
"Madam, I don't know your name." 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhrFgzPg1BC
"Marion". I leaned close to them. 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaVWdPqYMyP
"Marion, I'd like you to meet Cheeseburger. 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeB8KoREEVb
Cheeseburger, this lovely lady is Marion." The dog looked 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAVLfr7Y4Vz
straight in my eyes and offered a paw. 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFNwCHqPKFo
I took it. "Hey, cheeseburger," I said. 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡywraoTtpjE
He licked my hand and his tail went in high. 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr4decsJPKh
"And I'm Johnny," said the man. 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFrfrRLQNul
"Johnny, I'm afraid he's thirsty." 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2wgbRi594B
"Oh, he's fine," she said. "This place was shady when 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWUf9WXcaYo
I left him here just a few minutes ago." Johnny picked up his 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXhBZKEf70P
handbag. "We've been together for nine years. Look, he has my cell number on his collar and he's vaccinated 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5QpVL9OStm
." Johnny moved his bag under the Japanese maple 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIc0LvDTRDE
and Cheeseburger sat 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzx3oLRnYi9
next to it in the shade.568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡppkgUVmjWW
"How far do you live from here?" I asked. 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkVN5pLJdsg
"Not far," he said. "Back in the woods, on the other side of 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa3hxQz4Tv7
. We have a good tent." 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzZTSBbfvag
"But couldn't you go to the shelter?" 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9FSaU2BM6u
"They don't take a cheeseburger and I don't go anywhere without one," he said. Every time he said 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA6OmWMW9OK
,568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLdx7Q1OJo3
cheeseburgers, the dog's tail happily wagged 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx5ZZEtAQc8
,568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWXlijvUt7M
back and forth. 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGutZl7OmNq
"Johnny, I can't leave without a cheeseburger food and water," I said. "It's 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡePBbxgsPrr
, not you. It's just, well, I have this thing about dogs..." 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZVHS0PigMI
"Fine, if it makes you happy," he said. "I'll go back 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡezHsiE66qC
now and finish my drink... It was nice 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu5Ggo3d7dk
meeting you, Marion. 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡny65rjHfi8
I locked up at Walgreen's and came back with a bowl, 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCbr8PbABYd
a large bottle of cold water, a bag of dog food, and 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHTZoAakqeO
bones. Then I went in and picked up Johnny at 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEUCNd2Cxv6
restaurant. "I thought you should come with me while I give 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCHpy7UGeV2
food and water for a cheeseburger," I told him. 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzMskLLBfbz
"Okeydoke," he said. The cheeseburger stood Johnny 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlPEgdlbLeL
and I approached. I put the food down and he took 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXHHmICdYV9
bites of it - mostly out of politeness. He covered enough 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7cMDKDqRp6
water. 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEe7C1ZXIWj
"I think he was thirsty," said Johnny. "Thanks. I won't give him bottled water, but don't worry, I'll take very good care of him." 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFvYSkTTKo4
"And who will take care of you?" The words flew out of my mouth before I could stop them, and I knew they sounded sharper than I intended. 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZu8tDSUrC7
Johnny didn't seem to care. “That's how it works,” he said gently 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHDx7QXQyfe
. “Every morning Cheeseburger and I get out of our tent 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgyMz7aUqVF
and look at the sky. And I say: Lord, we belong to you. We trust you. Take care of us one more day. 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAcLd6vAFA
Thank you. ” And then at night, when we fall asleep, 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkm2X1Nm4hi
I look at the stars and say: “God, we still trust You.” 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZW3rXfv2L
He smiled again—that slow, easy laugh. 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFRxPqqmckz
I smiled back. There was just something about his 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43DR4RM9Qm
eyes that I liked. "Maybe I'll see you and the cheeseburger again sometime 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHDXLjzOVXT
," I said. 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8E5ZJVI9Ma
“Okeydoke. Me and the cheeseburger come here or go to 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOvATJgq3q1
McDonalds most mornings. Then we walk down 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJBZdUBmkiN
to the post office. I am a painter by trade and I hope to find a job for 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyNW66bQLYE
."568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡne41iEp5rA
There was a real calm about Johnny, even 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUZTnpQt5p2
despite my unkind accusations. 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Q1hnsx1Mg
I fished in my purse and found a twenty. 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSfxndc206t
"Can I have this?" I asked hesitantly, not knowing how 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEFT1NpJel5
was supposed to work. 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjNsiukzEPd
He did not hand over the bill, but looked at me with a 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5LfYtJ7c6n
satisfied expression. "You don't have to. We're 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMryYRt4AO
doing pretty well." 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjqFtn5pqIs
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"I would. Very much." 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9NW1qCdjN
"Then I thank you, Marion. God bless you." 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlVWFCsaRT8
I went back to my car and turned on the 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVautYtKWQh
air conditioner. At a red light I leaned forward and looked up at the 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3pXdad2kdh
blue cloudless sky. "Lord, I belong to you. I trust you 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoxHE2DbCFm
. Take care of me today. Thank you." 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYWqfMvQORY
The light changed. I stepped onto the highway 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh6Pzc2RdCE
fresh, not so much from the cool air, but from 568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzbDoDdtxyL
. unmistakable peace, the same peace I saw in Johnny's eyes.568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlDiOjvgDqE
568Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuWPWGP3vBT
