~How a homeless man and his devoted partner assisted me in overcoming my~ ~spiritual depression~573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2m1FjitRZ6
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. 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiqXNqo5QuY
The scorching heat didn't help — August here in Georgia 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8IZLfSC5H8
can be downright unbearable. It was 100 degrees today and 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡasRcTXtyla
was pretty sticky. I turned the car's A/C on full blast 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJizIiXpCWW
and was ready to do my chores and head home. Then 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSoxeAbEwPd
I saw a dog. 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdCMssKGpsY
He lay on an empty army green bag right next to the Applebee's restaurant and walked around. There is no shadow. 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ86zknI3R1j
Asleep, or at least I hoped he was. He could have 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIn81Z4LJLM
died in this heat! I went in and found a parking space. 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqwjMqny6xH
Then I hurried to the dog. I bowed. "Hey buddy. Are you 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhBb7HSXmCm
thirsty?" 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdCAs7qplLP
I love dogs and they love me. But this one—he was 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGIEAmBQWwO
of medium height, black, gray around the muzzle—573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnO2iV44o3N
opened one eye, closed it, and turned his head away from me. On purpose. His tail did not slide. 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ82YJqXKx4b
He had a collar and by the way was guarding 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiYbbLuS2QB
's bag, I thought he was waiting for his owner 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO4l4wwNUXk
who was undoubtedly sitting in the air-conditioned condition of the restaurant! 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXBFmjtfwKQ
I stormed into Applebee's ready for battle. Immediately at 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUHMQgBSzDq
I noticed the owner. He sat alone at the counter, 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdurRA3MFp7
a tall glass of iced tea in front of him. Long wavy blonde 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6T601T3sQV
hair and beard. Skinny, how he can't always have enough 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt16v0aSM7q
to eat. He wore jeans that had seen better days, 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzXVc0zG6dQ
, but they were clean, although his arms had the faintest of 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpEenGR9JiI
paint stains. He seemed to sense my 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoRreVC1nNv
approach and turned the stool towards me.573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCijCf0pc5u
"Is that your dog?" I insist. 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw4rwWnRYNb
"Yes, ma'am, he is." 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡne3dyFrH0G
"He's out in the sun and has no water. I think he's 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmNGXxxxTIg
hungry too." I must have raised my voice because about 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd3lr2aStIe
people looked at me. "Dogs like me, but he wouldn't even open both eyes when I talked to him." 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaTnAfK8ZBB
The man smiled slowly and lightly. He slipped off the 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5uEDoPJfn8
stool. "That's because he wasn't properly 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebWOCzmeuH
introduced to you. Don't bother. I'll do the honors." 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Lm42SLSsL
Introducing? I followed him outside. 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlj17H5HY6M
He crouched next to the dog, which was sitting up and 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ98MQ6RmYdS
turned his eyes to the owner. His tail came to life. 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2PoUoGlLV4
"Madam, I don't know your name." 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS58T9lEG9q
"Marion". I leaned close to them. 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd5VqZ87lvO
"Marion, I'd like you to meet Cheeseburger. 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXntiMIdAsC
Cheeseburger, this lovely lady is Marion." The dog looked 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRHjsyGJuiM
straight in my eyes and offered a paw. 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmK4h79mywE
I took it. "Hey, cheeseburger," I said. 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcRIr0Cyl3I
He licked my hand and his tail went in high. 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMvib93PHVw
"And I'm Johnny," said the man. 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk7RbeMFR6P
"Johnny, I'm afraid he's thirsty." 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXxBN5B13LH
"Oh, he's fine," she said. "This place was shady when 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlGlzMClrD2
I left him here just a few minutes ago." Johnny picked up his 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHnjeIwkyHp
handbag. "We've been together for nine years. Look, he has my cell number on his collar and he's vaccinated 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡujUfq3m5R7
." Johnny moved his bag under the Japanese maple 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBPPdQYbQaP
and Cheeseburger sat 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSOv3N6eFIH
next to it in the shade.573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhaPAH4hRdS
"How far do you live from here?" I asked. 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOANzAunGV2
"Not far," he said. "Back in the woods, on the other side of 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcjQ8p8XeyQ
. We have a good tent." 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1eE7NYrwpP
"But couldn't you go to the shelter?" 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ96taQy1KgJ
"They don't take a cheeseburger and I don't go anywhere without one," he said. Every time he said 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTSZh3RbsIa
,573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡttOWUfby6c
cheeseburgers, the dog's tail happily wagged 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQhJ1isD8Ls
,573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo2gntKt3Sf
back and forth. 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN52S4jz4S7
"Johnny, I can't leave without a cheeseburger food and water," I said. "It's 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3B4fqRFwYR
, not you. It's just, well, I have this thing about dogs..." 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdq5zqSoF6y
"Fine, if it makes you happy," he said. "I'll go back 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGhjumnDjZ6
now and finish my drink... It was nice 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnaHDWtZvOx
meeting you, Marion. 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3GOb6YIfBS
I locked up at Walgreen's and came back with a bowl, 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB0MoB0bTF8
a large bottle of cold water, a bag of dog food, and 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz3MODCPtgL
bones. Then I went in and picked up Johnny at 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡue8UPlp1vx
restaurant. "I thought you should come with me while I give 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdPnZOWbpp4
food and water for a cheeseburger," I told him. 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhfeWcrbTjJ
"Okeydoke," he said. The cheeseburger stood Johnny 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡycrA0Sdkg8
and I approached. I put the food down and he took 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBzSri7G9p
bites of it - mostly out of politeness. He covered enough 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLTRx82eniq
water. 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡegH1b0JiDH
"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." 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR2epc8GV3H
"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. 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3pC7gcRjtk
Johnny didn't seem to care. “That's how it works,” he said gently 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJvVCMHpHyE
. “Every morning Cheeseburger and I get out of our tent 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRV0R1kaqtm
and look at the sky. And I say: Lord, we belong to you. We trust you. Take care of us one more day. 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn4AEwPvlk4
Thank you. ” And then at night, when we fall asleep, 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIl7YMhdIQq
I look at the stars and say: “God, we still trust You.” 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1IMQFDxuoc
He smiled again—that slow, easy laugh. 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWCGGWLU84L
I smiled back. There was just something about his 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfX7AIsZUlh
eyes that I liked. "Maybe I'll see you and the cheeseburger again sometime 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfjdve6rJXe
," I said. 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjTUOUW40Sq
“Okeydoke. Me and the cheeseburger come here or go to 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJQwbSvGvuM
McDonalds most mornings. Then we walk down 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqzM0IsU5w9
to the post office. I am a painter by trade and I hope to find a job for 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUw6Xn2zOk1
."573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtGZHsor27k
There was a real calm about Johnny, even 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu0WWaYIX8Y
despite my unkind accusations. 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRodq3PJzcv
I fished in my purse and found a twenty. 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVNpc3cyx9q
"Can I have this?" I asked hesitantly, not knowing how 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡalASAchsht
was supposed to work. 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP30kNp32hW
He did not hand over the bill, but looked at me with a 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpHm9D0to9s
satisfied expression. "You don't have to. We're 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrhIN8VNUf7
doing pretty well." 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGueL9i3HM4
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"I would. Very much." 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9nEPbgroeZ
"Then I thank you, Marion. God bless you." 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE0QkaE7XFM
I went back to my car and turned on the 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnGQkuxuk4s
air conditioner. At a red light I leaned forward and looked up at the 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKsUi6qbbC6
blue cloudless sky. "Lord, I belong to you. I trust you 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNPo888cpmF
. Take care of me today. Thank you." 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIxOkgZOJ55
The light changed. I stepped onto the highway 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBlK7pRjkjX
fresh, not so much from the cool air, but from 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb7oj2EJ6S4
. unmistakable peace, the same peace I saw in Johnny's eyes.573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEVIGBmqJ4c
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