~How a homeless man and his devoted partner assisted me in overcoming my~ ~spiritual depression~610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqcBBVIHYWo
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. 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLReqnatGtj
The scorching heat didn't help — August here in Georgia 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpp1CbQrEX
can be downright unbearable. It was 100 degrees today and 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0prgWORDkb
was pretty sticky. I turned the car's A/C on full blast 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgOX9F5AYOS
and was ready to do my chores and head home. Then 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTFCsWjYP1w
I saw a dog. 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuuKlmpchOh
He lay on an empty army green bag right next to the Applebee's restaurant and walked around. There is no shadow. 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkA5WkCv5cT
Asleep, or at least I hoped he was. He could have 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0PA3yKfWOw
died in this heat! I went in and found a parking space. 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXLtunrW3MJ
Then I hurried to the dog. I bowed. "Hey buddy. Are you 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZtIXASoieH
thirsty?" 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrgaxqePOZy
I love dogs and they love me. But this one—he was 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA1Nl9WUrEJ
of medium height, black, gray around the muzzle—610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk0SRniP2sg
opened one eye, closed it, and turned his head away from me. On purpose. His tail did not slide. 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuiLJqq6pVK
He had a collar and by the way was guarding 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEpqvN35FcI
's bag, I thought he was waiting for his owner 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJWRGtgHM0w
who was undoubtedly sitting in the air-conditioned condition of the restaurant! 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXNmLpROQoX
I stormed into Applebee's ready for battle. Immediately at 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYlMwqC0oNr
I noticed the owner. He sat alone at the counter, 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZaLGXcFypd
a tall glass of iced tea in front of him. Long wavy blonde 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1FSkJjaa7F
hair and beard. Skinny, how he can't always have enough 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD2NMSUmZ6t
to eat. He wore jeans that had seen better days, 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9AeRQdRoIk
, but they were clean, although his arms had the faintest of 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAIUi29ARcA
paint stains. He seemed to sense my 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡED5s5FgugC
approach and turned the stool towards me.610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4d899CJJsE
"Is that your dog?" I insist. 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD5wiBFBSRF
"Yes, ma'am, he is." 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcYsyxYGw7j
"He's out in the sun and has no water. I think he's 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNZA5IGF93X
hungry too." I must have raised my voice because about 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzc1omgabb
people looked at me. "Dogs like me, but he wouldn't even open both eyes when I talked to him." 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8vUd6rwaY5
The man smiled slowly and lightly. He slipped off the 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFW0bK7hZJr
stool. "That's because he wasn't properly 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHIA0H2O2rZ
introduced to you. Don't bother. I'll do the honors." 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB8fsRQlvpv
Introducing? I followed him outside. 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCjG97uE4hZ
He crouched next to the dog, which was sitting up and 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyvr5jI0Ssf
turned his eyes to the owner. His tail came to life. 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡegrnhW0RDS
"Madam, I don't know your name." 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxWAZpSInbF
"Marion". I leaned close to them. 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzzpUxeo6Sx
"Marion, I'd like you to meet Cheeseburger. 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9dnva6UduU
Cheeseburger, this lovely lady is Marion." The dog looked 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD285HaOmvy
straight in my eyes and offered a paw. 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW6HDOkFXzT
I took it. "Hey, cheeseburger," I said. 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjcdMrjCSVE
He licked my hand and his tail went in high. 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD1LjuGDVpy
"And I'm Johnny," said the man. 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡluefnbV23K
"Johnny, I'm afraid he's thirsty." 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMN27UrauL4
"Oh, he's fine," she said. "This place was shady when 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDj5eEYY8hS
I left him here just a few minutes ago." Johnny picked up his 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0aF0VlK0S
handbag. "We've been together for nine years. Look, he has my cell number on his collar and he's vaccinated 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX2eQyKzUAw
." Johnny moved his bag under the Japanese maple 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡETOQb95Qnl
and Cheeseburger sat 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLlbr0KO1tN
next to it in the shade.610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxyzG5SZsLf
"How far do you live from here?" I asked. 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpv8nSM91oO
"Not far," he said. "Back in the woods, on the other side of 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJA7qWaNcdt
. We have a good tent." 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7bedvbaFJz
"But couldn't you go to the shelter?" 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUVSBaHCaLr
"They don't take a cheeseburger and I don't go anywhere without one," he said. Every time he said 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgWodIHDHfF
,610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpVaQT9Wyly
cheeseburgers, the dog's tail happily wagged 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrixbAn5RVM
,610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUnhJ4pttsB
back and forth. 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJQh1RPxmc6
"Johnny, I can't leave without a cheeseburger food and water," I said. "It's 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3pNsZhOKKn
, not you. It's just, well, I have this thing about dogs..." 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGjyQ0kQKdY
"Fine, if it makes you happy," he said. "I'll go back 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4O88rnw7kX
now and finish my drink... It was nice 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXOc9TdPhLT
meeting you, Marion. 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqA7qGPa9Q7
I locked up at Walgreen's and came back with a bowl, 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBJSbUZUOCh
a large bottle of cold water, a bag of dog food, and 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXNfoAcy6SF
bones. Then I went in and picked up Johnny at 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi072oU9oJ5
restaurant. "I thought you should come with me while I give 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOnK8IG9QxU
food and water for a cheeseburger," I told him. 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhX3hbeS29i
"Okeydoke," he said. The cheeseburger stood Johnny 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3LzTnDuqT
and I approached. I put the food down and he took 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXmnj3ziTHC
bites of it - mostly out of politeness. He covered enough 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJihklFeI8q
water. 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLMcumPeDcj
"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." 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIjB35egFXm
"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. 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFguOSb32Sn
Johnny didn't seem to care. “That's how it works,” he said gently 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhew5ZcL76U
. “Every morning Cheeseburger and I get out of our tent 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8K85V7biq1
and look at the sky. And I say: Lord, we belong to you. We trust you. Take care of us one more day. 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡariKR4RnPL
Thank you. ” And then at night, when we fall asleep, 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV6zL4uJ27S
I look at the stars and say: “God, we still trust You.” 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm4Fi1GDLIA
He smiled again—that slow, easy laugh. 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMxMr0w3yVo
I smiled back. There was just something about his 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmj7aFUoDe
eyes that I liked. "Maybe I'll see you and the cheeseburger again sometime 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb6MIFwENUD
," I said. 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyq0Gpk0K5q
“Okeydoke. Me and the cheeseburger come here or go to 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqDDKdcDEYS
McDonalds most mornings. Then we walk down 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsAfpH7pO1i
to the post office. I am a painter by trade and I hope to find a job for 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPfYpBBqY6l
."610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwf265mW4xc
There was a real calm about Johnny, even 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMakvrD6tO2
despite my unkind accusations. 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn5OaqqmMaH
I fished in my purse and found a twenty. 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhmYUS72Jf
"Can I have this?" I asked hesitantly, not knowing how 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcTZf8bGG39
was supposed to work. 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVihDSnkbmz
He did not hand over the bill, but looked at me with a 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlG2btdNCuZ
satisfied expression. "You don't have to. We're 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXlQKwHYndQ
doing pretty well." 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnHxIrklkFE
610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDIwuXL0iy1
"I would. Very much." 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb895cbNLPV
"Then I thank you, Marion. God bless you." 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGc7TyeeSqB
I went back to my car and turned on the 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjdZId8olER
air conditioner. At a red light I leaned forward and looked up at the 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUeCvXhum2U
blue cloudless sky. "Lord, I belong to you. I trust you 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7b0Fae1IKR
. Take care of me today. Thank you." 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUUDniGuK75
The light changed. I stepped onto the highway 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9covqLOpBo
fresh, not so much from the cool air, but from 610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT2VpW38Ojp
. unmistakable peace, the same peace I saw in Johnny's eyes.610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNu7oqY0M6u
610Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGJ4OCMdgVn
