~How a homeless man and his devoted partner assisted me in overcoming my~ ~spiritual depression~609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡciHFzHkJew
By: Marion Bond West
609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfqVLAKDxZp
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. 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKFHyOwRox6
The scorching heat didn't help — August here in Georgia 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFJGEY45ePq
can be downright unbearable. It was 100 degrees today and 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzXO8o1WtTU
was pretty sticky. I turned the car's A/C on full blast 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHIuejOLP15
and was ready to do my chores and head home. Then 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZTDbSmtxQ6
I saw a dog. 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDsFJMqMZI1
He lay on an empty army green bag right next to the Applebee's restaurant and walked around. There is no shadow. 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt7EqJyxLcf
Asleep, or at least I hoped he was. He could have 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDrMvKwu61b
died in this heat! I went in and found a parking space. 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcVid2m6wzl
Then I hurried to the dog. I bowed. "Hey buddy. Are you 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXljCFILcKb
thirsty?" 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnEk30cXxjI
I love dogs and they love me. But this one—he was 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmcOEokx7Fr
of medium height, black, gray around the muzzle—609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKy8p8Gdum
opened one eye, closed it, and turned his head away from me. On purpose. His tail did not slide. 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQSb3yjODF
He had a collar and by the way was guarding 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeBYleQwNC4
's bag, I thought he was waiting for his owner 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFAr1r34MX
who was undoubtedly sitting in the air-conditioned condition of the restaurant! 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEvL8wgZyGo
I stormed into Applebee's ready for battle. Immediately at 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ89XuO0M4P
I noticed the owner. He sat alone at the counter, 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN0n1ypouhy
a tall glass of iced tea in front of him. Long wavy blonde 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡktb0woVA3a
hair and beard. Skinny, how he can't always have enough 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTvroAaCaUZ
to eat. He wore jeans that had seen better days, 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdwdlrjOXfA
, but they were clean, although his arms had the faintest of 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV0MwkIWQxx
paint stains. He seemed to sense my 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ4wP91480n
approach and turned the stool towards me.609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwh0Tu62IC4
"Is that your dog?" I insist. 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKVrCzx9czc
"Yes, ma'am, he is." 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFxDnTi5PpU
"He's out in the sun and has no water. I think he's 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmCKzv9l1vL
hungry too." I must have raised my voice because about 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJxIvxaQ7m
people looked at me. "Dogs like me, but he wouldn't even open both eyes when I talked to him." 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4dbbrOCMSh
The man smiled slowly and lightly. He slipped off the 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3rH7ZzMt7r
stool. "That's because he wasn't properly 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWIjHOtUGLn
introduced to you. Don't bother. I'll do the honors." 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIEYkNwB0i
Introducing? I followed him outside. 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXpVSYAc7kO
He crouched next to the dog, which was sitting up and 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHBT3iosj3G
turned his eyes to the owner. His tail came to life. 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPqlc2LtMTW
"Madam, I don't know your name." 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSBBM4y5Ocp
"Marion". I leaned close to them. 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwEWTW0G1dC
"Marion, I'd like you to meet Cheeseburger. 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzSvVYG7zJV
Cheeseburger, this lovely lady is Marion." The dog looked 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8cCzmBUjZu
straight in my eyes and offered a paw. 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmCN4eXWB5z
I took it. "Hey, cheeseburger," I said. 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfwYuQhyYMz
He licked my hand and his tail went in high. 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrRvFV49M3K
"And I'm Johnny," said the man. 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdq80TczNk1
"Johnny, I'm afraid he's thirsty." 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVC3A4CA1jV
"Oh, he's fine," she said. "This place was shady when 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyVj1uonhND
I left him here just a few minutes ago." Johnny picked up his 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeG5LYkMmaD
handbag. "We've been together for nine years. Look, he has my cell number on his collar and he's vaccinated 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVC2ql6XKsQ
." Johnny moved his bag under the Japanese maple 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVRwN2Cjnvw
and Cheeseburger sat 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxnEVStjArV
next to it in the shade.609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEKPUVOtzsx
"How far do you live from here?" I asked. 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK2LC9axccY
"Not far," he said. "Back in the woods, on the other side of 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZFGxb6uL7D
. We have a good tent." 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡACH7xgm4Vq
"But couldn't you go to the shelter?" 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxRHjH41avY
"They don't take a cheeseburger and I don't go anywhere without one," he said. Every time he said 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlKi7eoYvH2
,609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoOJmoJIFu5
cheeseburgers, the dog's tail happily wagged 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzdRfVWqO9w
,609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMbgFst5y44
back and forth. 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRJ7V82QQC6
"Johnny, I can't leave without a cheeseburger food and water," I said. "It's 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPyKuY6RFyz
, not you. It's just, well, I have this thing about dogs..." 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ891t5sZzAc
"Fine, if it makes you happy," he said. "I'll go back 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt6ZQDrDmTI
now and finish my drink... It was nice 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVOhMSXoR8D
meeting you, Marion. 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7xDzPE4g9
I locked up at Walgreen's and came back with a bowl, 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3fBQFOFtWQ
a large bottle of cold water, a bag of dog food, and 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5P0YaVbcf8
bones. Then I went in and picked up Johnny at 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX2E1Roq6Pi
restaurant. "I thought you should come with me while I give 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMVwDIhBy5V
food and water for a cheeseburger," I told him. 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxTGAxoK6Vn
"Okeydoke," he said. The cheeseburger stood Johnny 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlxCojS7q6y
and I approached. I put the food down and he took 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCTSWKfHYFZ
bites of it - mostly out of politeness. He covered enough 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2rIJ8Jl5kR
water. 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWKIRK8c3Kj
"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." 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡru8FXAvc8r
"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. 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoBneMhWxwJ
Johnny didn't seem to care. “That's how it works,” he said gently 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWDYOMpPYLZ
. “Every morning Cheeseburger and I get out of our tent 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5leLv3oKJn
and look at the sky. And I say: Lord, we belong to you. We trust you. Take care of us one more day. 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡowLtndKiEX
Thank you. ” And then at night, when we fall asleep, 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4LoB4F6YV7
I look at the stars and say: “God, we still trust You.” 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQG3Z3mlFck
He smiled again—that slow, easy laugh. 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR7ljHLN05S
I smiled back. There was just something about his 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOSOyeyR9ox
eyes that I liked. "Maybe I'll see you and the cheeseburger again sometime 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD5cN9Lbitk
," I said. 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2MUY6Q75Lq
“Okeydoke. Me and the cheeseburger come here or go to 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEfjjWEeut1
McDonalds most mornings. Then we walk down 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRnGbITqDiu
to the post office. I am a painter by trade and I hope to find a job for 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFcsbZjtSrh
."609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLirumcw2Or
There was a real calm about Johnny, even 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwWUwmUoZhZ
despite my unkind accusations. 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEc4JaaCEo0
I fished in my purse and found a twenty. 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMU1tUCKHco
"Can I have this?" I asked hesitantly, not knowing how 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2im8AwBB4t
was supposed to work. 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpNoQvd29rY
He did not hand over the bill, but looked at me with a 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfH6wGwfgmD
satisfied expression. "You don't have to. We're 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZie3pENFeg
doing pretty well." 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsmERlocDTp
609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv3iokJ6N4x
"I would. Very much." 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJlaH0aA38j
"Then I thank you, Marion. God bless you." 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCva7VP2gnW
I went back to my car and turned on the 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWrUtJGIaM
air conditioner. At a red light I leaned forward and looked up at the 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0CfFzom9PX
blue cloudless sky. "Lord, I belong to you. I trust you 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8JRUGzdtbk
. Take care of me today. Thank you." 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyFmU2tzZQm
The light changed. I stepped onto the highway 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnqusqa21d6
fresh, not so much from the cool air, but from 609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFKhIvIGsHE
. unmistakable peace, the same peace I saw in Johnny's eyes.609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfS2l6cIS6M
609Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGTxnKJ5wc0
