~How a homeless man and his devoted partner assisted me in overcoming my~ ~spiritual depression~557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1oOmnguOxD
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. 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPVUN1GkFyJ
The scorching heat didn't help — August here in Georgia 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8S9iij3jx9
can be downright unbearable. It was 100 degrees today and 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz4eDJZOadw
was pretty sticky. I turned the car's A/C on full blast 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQmieZOfYVk
and was ready to do my chores and head home. Then 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa3fQApG9Kl
I saw a dog. 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLBucBWxHmD
He lay on an empty army green bag right next to the Applebee's restaurant and walked around. There is no shadow. 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfpGwomrdFa
Asleep, or at least I hoped he was. He could have 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0AT1bkSsuk
died in this heat! I went in and found a parking space. 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLdRXvCrMTR
Then I hurried to the dog. I bowed. "Hey buddy. Are you 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmtZRsb7oML
thirsty?" 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ui4YPgRk7
I love dogs and they love me. But this one—he was 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡet7Geol1Mw
of medium height, black, gray around the muzzle—557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv8f4KUp5oZ
opened one eye, closed it, and turned his head away from me. On purpose. His tail did not slide. 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeybPIn9RX1
He had a collar and by the way was guarding 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUEdcYOPrro
's bag, I thought he was waiting for his owner 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTl2JQxIbR1
who was undoubtedly sitting in the air-conditioned condition of the restaurant! 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjKP9JHmQFw
I stormed into Applebee's ready for battle. Immediately at 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAcJnSMCjQ
I noticed the owner. He sat alone at the counter, 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI4Ye7dChx7
a tall glass of iced tea in front of him. Long wavy blonde 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdlzkBXNrzB
hair and beard. Skinny, how he can't always have enough 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkOlUX3Ik9L
to eat. He wore jeans that had seen better days, 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF1yn1dmiYo
, but they were clean, although his arms had the faintest of 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz5YRgVb34O
paint stains. He seemed to sense my 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ578tcOdh1h
approach and turned the stool towards me.557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLyLTAlsHvi
"Is that your dog?" I insist. 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMEMvwgfkcw
"Yes, ma'am, he is." 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYkSIqHYTnz
"He's out in the sun and has no water. I think he's 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPvEqFIxtxS
hungry too." I must have raised my voice because about 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ33ShHunDhP
people looked at me. "Dogs like me, but he wouldn't even open both eyes when I talked to him." 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM0mgfEW5IV
The man smiled slowly and lightly. He slipped off the 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtLdtwyD3X1
stool. "That's because he wasn't properly 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcrixO2rvv9
introduced to you. Don't bother. I'll do the honors." 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT6ofU6Y1Pr
Introducing? I followed him outside. 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg6U3y8QOL7
He crouched next to the dog, which was sitting up and 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡud66jeBmZ2
turned his eyes to the owner. His tail came to life. 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPouIbiXzu
"Madam, I don't know your name." 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOIo36ytML9
"Marion". I leaned close to them. 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOIB1QPpZ4M
"Marion, I'd like you to meet Cheeseburger. 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX5JBVZloNj
Cheeseburger, this lovely lady is Marion." The dog looked 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXbgatrsOyC
straight in my eyes and offered a paw. 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡktwKqKXlzK
I took it. "Hey, cheeseburger," I said. 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEODX25BpSu
He licked my hand and his tail went in high. 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6WfvSr9u5w
"And I'm Johnny," said the man. 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeUacHdSyOE
"Johnny, I'm afraid he's thirsty." 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5EoxqwTmcg
"Oh, he's fine," she said. "This place was shady when 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAGVCPh9cYT
I left him here just a few minutes ago." Johnny picked up his 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKpb6cYVLne
handbag. "We've been together for nine years. Look, he has my cell number on his collar and he's vaccinated 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTfyR74HWgW
." Johnny moved his bag under the Japanese maple 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3grEqsRvxN
and Cheeseburger sat 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS6TCm06sLK
next to it in the shade.557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe9x1Pk5Y1C
"How far do you live from here?" I asked. 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCpe8T9GvDH
"Not far," he said. "Back in the woods, on the other side of 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpsY6Kt6jrI
. We have a good tent." 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMN6RzmcrtT
"But couldn't you go to the shelter?" 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡINykDxv7g3
"They don't take a cheeseburger and I don't go anywhere without one," he said. Every time he said 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUrgrWci6vN
,557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtFOFj6wdOa
cheeseburgers, the dog's tail happily wagged 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSVPzLUUdNH
,557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCHj6m2GCn1
back and forth. 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGdINuPFxD4
"Johnny, I can't leave without a cheeseburger food and water," I said. "It's 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyKibugrzsj
, not you. It's just, well, I have this thing about dogs..." 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCItqB4R52a
"Fine, if it makes you happy," he said. "I'll go back 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyIvhv3hzRD
now and finish my drink... It was nice 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnNOWsFQIWH
meeting you, Marion. 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43PT7YxpQk
I locked up at Walgreen's and came back with a bowl, 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA8Wnfs7CF3
a large bottle of cold water, a bag of dog food, and 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTz1AQCoxTC
bones. Then I went in and picked up Johnny at 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQqVIGJ8tP7
restaurant. "I thought you should come with me while I give 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeh23XEcpGw
food and water for a cheeseburger," I told him. 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6TvvsK5Xer
"Okeydoke," he said. The cheeseburger stood Johnny 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEIJKOg7bUT
and I approached. I put the food down and he took 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPtn2HW0opY
bites of it - mostly out of politeness. He covered enough 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1MgBMwZvq4
water. 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqSIQexeCrf
"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." 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8FnP5wwAS
"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. 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡltZ5g0kk5h
Johnny didn't seem to care. “That's how it works,” he said gently 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ7cIchnQOW
. “Every morning Cheeseburger and I get out of our tent 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwE2UEOEN9G
and look at the sky. And I say: Lord, we belong to you. We trust you. Take care of us one more day. 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMXE5rHsohA
Thank you. ” And then at night, when we fall asleep, 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmcLujD2uxi
I look at the stars and say: “God, we still trust You.” 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrSBjqU1CS8
He smiled again—that slow, easy laugh. 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUcscyewSWI
I smiled back. There was just something about his 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡORgMB2dtfp
eyes that I liked. "Maybe I'll see you and the cheeseburger again sometime 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg9cqsghzjd
," I said. 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgLsCuuG7jN
“Okeydoke. Me and the cheeseburger come here or go to 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ZDRpbLBtT
McDonalds most mornings. Then we walk down 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUqcaFrSP6X
to the post office. I am a painter by trade and I hope to find a job for 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPUgG37riJD
."557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXNkK8DjqUD
There was a real calm about Johnny, even 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxXhUvEKMxD
despite my unkind accusations. 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Lbb3n5Q72
I fished in my purse and found a twenty. 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrjwrAUyer6
"Can I have this?" I asked hesitantly, not knowing how 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx2y2ilo8bo
was supposed to work. 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpNKTM3HYQQ
He did not hand over the bill, but looked at me with a 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBDTz8r22fJ
satisfied expression. "You don't have to. We're 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVwIbD81IUI
doing pretty well." 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkcmKUUl6in
557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnOTrBwMTcR
"I would. Very much." 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnwrGnlYPyl
"Then I thank you, Marion. God bless you." 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvZlec6tDK0
I went back to my car and turned on the 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwMGKS7iLAq
air conditioner. At a red light I leaned forward and looked up at the 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGWTNnw8KiU
blue cloudless sky. "Lord, I belong to you. I trust you 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY8aMeYyQ1P
. Take care of me today. Thank you." 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPUSzr5gK4C
The light changed. I stepped onto the highway 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVA0G8m6KZp
fresh, not so much from the cool air, but from 557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnLAXlofB69
. unmistakable peace, the same peace I saw in Johnny's eyes.557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk8DWf7MjRk
557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5kvk86HuC1
