~How a homeless man and his devoted partner assisted me in overcoming my~ ~spiritual depression~644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxQCjLC6ijA
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. 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrLaLETem1f
The scorching heat didn't help — August here in Georgia 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ31sdvtx2kr
can be downright unbearable. It was 100 degrees today and 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnoGfsC49eY
was pretty sticky. I turned the car's A/C on full blast 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwLZJSH0InW
and was ready to do my chores and head home. Then 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTLrntFcqBI
I saw a dog. 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjvD0cPGoLt
He lay on an empty army green bag right next to the Applebee's restaurant and walked around. There is no shadow. 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ihdABU78P
Asleep, or at least I hoped he was. He could have 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgkcqMslhPJ
died in this heat! I went in and found a parking space. 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ndVI1RFYS
Then I hurried to the dog. I bowed. "Hey buddy. Are you 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLtPzPIYjAC
thirsty?" 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKCSDUm29IE
I love dogs and they love me. But this one—he was 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSDM7EiBb9o
of medium height, black, gray around the muzzle—644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJoivoz51I
opened one eye, closed it, and turned his head away from me. On purpose. His tail did not slide. 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKk1DLKsTBf
He had a collar and by the way was guarding 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0LHiZTd7a
's bag, I thought he was waiting for his owner 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxyxBpVB87S
who was undoubtedly sitting in the air-conditioned condition of the restaurant! 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUcvudrt7Un
I stormed into Applebee's ready for battle. Immediately at 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqkAv5puJqX
I noticed the owner. He sat alone at the counter, 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlu53sEKBlL
a tall glass of iced tea in front of him. Long wavy blonde 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ92gu8bjxrV
hair and beard. Skinny, how he can't always have enough 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqnJZveWm6x
to eat. He wore jeans that had seen better days, 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBuddFHQvBU
, but they were clean, although his arms had the faintest of 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8xfCS6dh6H
paint stains. He seemed to sense my 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRLeirs9MQn
approach and turned the stool towards me.644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVYfsx1PVsD
"Is that your dog?" I insist. 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnZ4GK51TRn
"Yes, ma'am, he is." 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy9UMFK3zMS
"He's out in the sun and has no water. I think he's 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoDJtr76NRy
hungry too." I must have raised my voice because about 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM130Q9Ncjb
people looked at me. "Dogs like me, but he wouldn't even open both eyes when I talked to him." 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPswjWzIhKp
The man smiled slowly and lightly. He slipped off the 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdGJBGB4C5G
stool. "That's because he wasn't properly 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuMbqZrIi10
introduced to you. Don't bother. I'll do the honors." 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ4Z4aRXj0i
Introducing? I followed him outside. 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbipGeChUBK
He crouched next to the dog, which was sitting up and 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl5GkPowf13
turned his eyes to the owner. His tail came to life. 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrOTHdvpC9C
"Madam, I don't know your name." 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYAkWivAFH3
"Marion". I leaned close to them. 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTPSyKt5iAF
"Marion, I'd like you to meet Cheeseburger. 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqaPrim9fX8
Cheeseburger, this lovely lady is Marion." The dog looked 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQA1vTAxr6M
straight in my eyes and offered a paw. 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF4fLh2ohPl
I took it. "Hey, cheeseburger," I said. 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡck9xvPPIKx
He licked my hand and his tail went in high. 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfvrJlOC1Px
"And I'm Johnny," said the man. 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHl1TbAIdnN
"Johnny, I'm afraid he's thirsty." 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZ5Mre2a04
"Oh, he's fine," she said. "This place was shady when 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoI6DobP7Jd
I left him here just a few minutes ago." Johnny picked up his 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbMKvDzG3ts
handbag. "We've been together for nine years. Look, he has my cell number on his collar and he's vaccinated 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxqmgJLNn5j
." Johnny moved his bag under the Japanese maple 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSmj8sbnoxf
and Cheeseburger sat 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZd6BFJw8D
next to it in the shade.644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyCNz0tsHji
"How far do you live from here?" I asked. 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeoY1nmnQDk
"Not far," he said. "Back in the woods, on the other side of 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsZTTgEYFhf
. We have a good tent." 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlS2inkwpmg
"But couldn't you go to the shelter?" 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNRfXL9oq4e
"They don't take a cheeseburger and I don't go anywhere without one," he said. Every time he said 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡev9nUiD5Cx
,644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiG4J1uOlA0
cheeseburgers, the dog's tail happily wagged 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjJLsRHzeMJ
,644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJHMrtL8YKX
back and forth. 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡINxcTg0QU7
"Johnny, I can't leave without a cheeseburger food and water," I said. "It's 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9vJc7ulRDy
, not you. It's just, well, I have this thing about dogs..." 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbSsUcARxMN
"Fine, if it makes you happy," he said. "I'll go back 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqTmNFzZ7r
now and finish my drink... It was nice 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs9fjzai54B
meeting you, Marion. 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7KxijdEsDx
I locked up at Walgreen's and came back with a bowl, 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQvkRDHrZp
a large bottle of cold water, a bag of dog food, and 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOxvShrmx7n
bones. Then I went in and picked up Johnny at 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYVmlwHl4hL
restaurant. "I thought you should come with me while I give 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEGSAoCVwHu
food and water for a cheeseburger," I told him. 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbvZl6Tj99B
"Okeydoke," he said. The cheeseburger stood Johnny 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVc2Hluff2L
and I approached. I put the food down and he took 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGy7OqeR13
bites of it - mostly out of politeness. He covered enough 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5wTv0jqRlB
water. 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgcQXupLQmL
"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." 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLCymVBXeB6
"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. 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoZIPvY87aH
Johnny didn't seem to care. “That's how it works,” he said gently 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ825TcaCitV
. “Every morning Cheeseburger and I get out of our tent 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrQJ0WeERBi
and look at the sky. And I say: Lord, we belong to you. We trust you. Take care of us one more day. 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYeAlBh0ig4
Thank you. ” And then at night, when we fall asleep, 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGFpgdSQXON
I look at the stars and say: “God, we still trust You.” 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPMm7jeUNF
He smiled again—that slow, easy laugh. 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ878fnU4dgj
I smiled back. There was just something about his 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNdrKQ8WTBE
eyes that I liked. "Maybe I'll see you and the cheeseburger again sometime 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvGcy5jnNn4
," I said. 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUfaAZ5oCht
“Okeydoke. Me and the cheeseburger come here or go to 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZW1zEYdCH
McDonalds most mornings. Then we walk down 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFb27Vjn5zc
to the post office. I am a painter by trade and I hope to find a job for 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeUOqFx81YX
."644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCThzXoMyq5
There was a real calm about Johnny, even 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwlETPcpVdf
despite my unkind accusations. 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdBqDNOttmv
I fished in my purse and found a twenty. 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK1bMHoda5p
"Can I have this?" I asked hesitantly, not knowing how 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8wb701jRwz
was supposed to work. 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQaOWapjeWI
He did not hand over the bill, but looked at me with a 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3z4s3gQxjD
satisfied expression. "You don't have to. We're 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtss9Ytsmmn
doing pretty well." 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDjmACDt5H2
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"I would. Very much." 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoRWbYNhy0I
"Then I thank you, Marion. God bless you." 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYX4rxVFEFO
I went back to my car and turned on the 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg9K7HfPkoR
air conditioner. At a red light I leaned forward and looked up at the 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7JaKuPH4HY
blue cloudless sky. "Lord, I belong to you. I trust you 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO3Wo9btcNX
. Take care of me today. Thank you." 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlGyZCPrh2d
The light changed. I stepped onto the highway 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk0dEwlnTE4
fresh, not so much from the cool air, but from 644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZntsGjjCHi
. unmistakable peace, the same peace I saw in Johnny's eyes.644Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQHmACPv6nB
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