~How a homeless man and his devoted partner assisted me in overcoming my~ ~spiritual depression~542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGLCHMQ43TN
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. 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcBDtV6EjQR
The scorching heat didn't help — August here in Georgia 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0rHtzQwsrr
can be downright unbearable. It was 100 degrees today and 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOCfg6SdQWX
was pretty sticky. I turned the car's A/C on full blast 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRvuCH0UGnK
and was ready to do my chores and head home. Then 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW9Kc6PTWDY
I saw a dog. 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡybfi0vzZAd
He lay on an empty army green bag right next to the Applebee's restaurant and walked around. There is no shadow. 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwbsvd08wf0
Asleep, or at least I hoped he was. He could have 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqcmxWXruyJ
died in this heat! I went in and found a parking space. 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKxlXk6BKwz
Then I hurried to the dog. I bowed. "Hey buddy. Are you 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD3xeWmYZIL
thirsty?" 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJSNhqSdhG
I love dogs and they love me. But this one—he was 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnQm2iiEvUW
of medium height, black, gray around the muzzle—542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡReAOaCiNQu
opened one eye, closed it, and turned his head away from me. On purpose. His tail did not slide. 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRt2vjb24nY
He had a collar and by the way was guarding 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc9bVLRCqSV
's bag, I thought he was waiting for his owner 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9XW0ZaNvT
who was undoubtedly sitting in the air-conditioned condition of the restaurant! 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKb4A0jATu0
I stormed into Applebee's ready for battle. Immediately at 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnp99CHPUke
I noticed the owner. He sat alone at the counter, 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbt5zjExb44
a tall glass of iced tea in front of him. Long wavy blonde 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWTAyF3DfbC
hair and beard. Skinny, how he can't always have enough 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY6TXK3Fyjy
to eat. He wore jeans that had seen better days, 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRhWCx3yKCi
, but they were clean, although his arms had the faintest of 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmuTo612NYZ
paint stains. He seemed to sense my 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡchUEXsbR9s
approach and turned the stool towards me.542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9DhFhQgN8v
"Is that your dog?" I insist. 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7wmjHWNsJK
"Yes, ma'am, he is." 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWYr9t33gzi
"He's out in the sun and has no water. I think he's 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrTigNrzFzW
hungry too." I must have raised my voice because about 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ21RtMJZDDZ
people looked at me. "Dogs like me, but he wouldn't even open both eyes when I talked to him." 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡElKAkKex7Z
The man smiled slowly and lightly. He slipped off the 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡga54prDSu2
stool. "That's because he wasn't properly 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHDRPAoeAX3
introduced to you. Don't bother. I'll do the honors." 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdamU0gEM3I
Introducing? I followed him outside. 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlqolXFUTTx
He crouched next to the dog, which was sitting up and 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWFCRk3xhgF
turned his eyes to the owner. His tail came to life. 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwSlCZvrLnz
"Madam, I don't know your name." 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHDkEbUZ1u4
"Marion". I leaned close to them. 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf7r8H3OdVz
"Marion, I'd like you to meet Cheeseburger. 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgbBCLKR0Tm
Cheeseburger, this lovely lady is Marion." The dog looked 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNJpo1HwE9N
straight in my eyes and offered a paw. 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmrCo1cYUOG
I took it. "Hey, cheeseburger," I said. 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1xUJqHckAF
He licked my hand and his tail went in high. 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW4T4PDnXgQ
"And I'm Johnny," said the man. 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaSSLkzkKfG
"Johnny, I'm afraid he's thirsty." 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKzsP0jVaEy
"Oh, he's fine," she said. "This place was shady when 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNByq3gZPAY
I left him here just a few minutes ago." Johnny picked up his 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS7l1Yn8LLJ
handbag. "We've been together for nine years. Look, he has my cell number on his collar and he's vaccinated 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8akUPR1xUm
." Johnny moved his bag under the Japanese maple 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuz3fW2yvkG
and Cheeseburger sat 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUx16srlB3p
next to it in the shade.542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWqhO4y92tN
"How far do you live from here?" I asked. 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu8iivmJQPt
"Not far," he said. "Back in the woods, on the other side of 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSnviAnNtza
. We have a good tent." 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa80SJ1UtI2
"But couldn't you go to the shelter?" 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTl4YmcqAmd
"They don't take a cheeseburger and I don't go anywhere without one," he said. Every time he said 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxZsFaosoSM
,542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGmDoGY8PzN
cheeseburgers, the dog's tail happily wagged 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡojJXagjp1s
,542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmKMYiIMVSJ
back and forth. 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZzW25VrZtj
"Johnny, I can't leave without a cheeseburger food and water," I said. "It's 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiaqW6JHSi1
, not you. It's just, well, I have this thing about dogs..." 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTXSIK75EGq
"Fine, if it makes you happy," he said. "I'll go back 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw8wWLRV6uo
now and finish my drink... It was nice 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2P1t2HzJ1F
meeting you, Marion. 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ09QinIvouR
I locked up at Walgreen's and came back with a bowl, 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeSD09esHmf
a large bottle of cold water, a bag of dog food, and 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw92112jBie
bones. Then I went in and picked up Johnny at 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ959E8BCdWZ
restaurant. "I thought you should come with me while I give 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdu5n6v6Ujw
food and water for a cheeseburger," I told him. 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuFBSKzVaco
"Okeydoke," he said. The cheeseburger stood Johnny 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwgDNxoEfJ2
and I approached. I put the food down and he took 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXpJOOTkXqo
bites of it - mostly out of politeness. He covered enough 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCIaK70CVhC
water. 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwGxUMtFBLg
"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." 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzp1oHzBkVi
"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. 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwxVT5fK9aa
Johnny didn't seem to care. “That's how it works,” he said gently 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVtAG7Vv2yo
. “Every morning Cheeseburger and I get out of our tent 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIx1yfLZFQq
and look at the sky. And I say: Lord, we belong to you. We trust you. Take care of us one more day. 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxClbjjiW4X
Thank you. ” And then at night, when we fall asleep, 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ht4vSkhqw
I look at the stars and say: “God, we still trust You.” 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqRHJoKEGW7
He smiled again—that slow, easy laugh. 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ0QAw2djr5
I smiled back. There was just something about his 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9n30CSrFUf
eyes that I liked. "Maybe I'll see you and the cheeseburger again sometime 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLig5irv2YT
," I said. 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbTutiKF4mq
“Okeydoke. Me and the cheeseburger come here or go to 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5XRBTtgtZV
McDonalds most mornings. Then we walk down 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsjY5Ma0xO9
to the post office. I am a painter by trade and I hope to find a job for 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXqIUH2WibK
."542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1DMV5DW3aQ
There was a real calm about Johnny, even 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Ls5fQ5OL8
despite my unkind accusations. 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9vJn8IS4GT
I fished in my purse and found a twenty. 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRnhQEoKgLY
"Can I have this?" I asked hesitantly, not knowing how 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7nE7u6utIM
was supposed to work. 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3tFYd3zpH8
He did not hand over the bill, but looked at me with a 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡagjjbQl0GO
satisfied expression. "You don't have to. We're 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDLsbTJigAR
doing pretty well." 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXWB9jZhtcA
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"I would. Very much." 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc0dyvDmocg
"Then I thank you, Marion. God bless you." 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnHdSn0OIrZ
I went back to my car and turned on the 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuuG2e4E4S0
air conditioner. At a red light I leaned forward and looked up at the 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUXfNrJaKCR
blue cloudless sky. "Lord, I belong to you. I trust you 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDqaw8I7aIQ
. Take care of me today. Thank you." 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDjwMkZhUi4
The light changed. I stepped onto the highway 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVkDJLrP107
fresh, not so much from the cool air, but from 542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwvZ5ouWlPW
. unmistakable peace, the same peace I saw in Johnny's eyes.542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm6TZr3GGJ1
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