~How a homeless man and his devoted partner assisted me in overcoming my~ ~spiritual depression~581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFFgGiRIkrz
By: Marion Bond West
581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF9UPAse3Jl
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. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQTG9umWRJ
The scorching heat didn't help — August here in Georgia 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTaGhejGH6k
can be downright unbearable. It was 100 degrees today and 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUjenrRdWHW
was pretty sticky. I turned the car's A/C on full blast 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnpuCv0RpTi
and was ready to do my chores and head home. Then 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ80lUYa7kF7
I saw a dog. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWPBQ1yqiLj
He lay on an empty army green bag right next to the Applebee's restaurant and walked around. There is no shadow. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJhwMcQ2dn2
Asleep, or at least I hoped he was. He could have 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjvf95Q5IAD
died in this heat! I went in and found a parking space. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtzb1nQuEQN
Then I hurried to the dog. I bowed. "Hey buddy. Are you 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9AluTAK2rp
thirsty?" 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKZaR5gLylw
I love dogs and they love me. But this one—he was 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8V6M2EUiOJ
of medium height, black, gray around the muzzle—581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3egSI0EjcZ
opened one eye, closed it, and turned his head away from me. On purpose. His tail did not slide. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEVF7NN1dRd
He had a collar and by the way was guarding 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj7UCLxqyrj
's bag, I thought he was waiting for his owner 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ39fB0EPDWQ
who was undoubtedly sitting in the air-conditioned condition of the restaurant! 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRcbpaCvaxb
I stormed into Applebee's ready for battle. Immediately at 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk1W8EITrWT
I noticed the owner. He sat alone at the counter, 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJntV5aNXnZ
a tall glass of iced tea in front of him. Long wavy blonde 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ954yWlcc3a
hair and beard. Skinny, how he can't always have enough 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpoTNhbmmOO
to eat. He wore jeans that had seen better days, 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6fiJZJEAKl
, but they were clean, although his arms had the faintest of 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYcpS6WUou5
paint stains. He seemed to sense my 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ96ZqPB0t4M
approach and turned the stool towards me.581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgw4PvADkhb
"Is that your dog?" I insist. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAD0TQwFCXB
"Yes, ma'am, he is." 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8lGBqmxOKF
"He's out in the sun and has no water. I think he's 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG60KF86Ps2
hungry too." I must have raised my voice because about 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr88lbFEeEf
people looked at me. "Dogs like me, but he wouldn't even open both eyes when I talked to him." 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWRhXzIVN5k
The man smiled slowly and lightly. He slipped off the 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWP1xrbKMJY
stool. "That's because he wasn't properly 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKKNDtTCL2M
introduced to you. Don't bother. I'll do the honors." 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzDi6OG06SG
Introducing? I followed him outside. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3FmaazPoqx
He crouched next to the dog, which was sitting up and 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsiitjx1YWU
turned his eyes to the owner. His tail came to life. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuViQRugXIy
"Madam, I don't know your name." 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfDXWzwnZcH
"Marion". I leaned close to them. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrIyKkyXVmj
"Marion, I'd like you to meet Cheeseburger. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡppN4uJ43eP
Cheeseburger, this lovely lady is Marion." The dog looked 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZeZJ2dspA6
straight in my eyes and offered a paw. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOu5YQoULQi
I took it. "Hey, cheeseburger," I said. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeg6FXwQckN
He licked my hand and his tail went in high. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFwNCt9i4Np
"And I'm Johnny," said the man. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhTi4Hp91Bl
"Johnny, I'm afraid he's thirsty." 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtkDtuTptwG
"Oh, he's fine," she said. "This place was shady when 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKK9LvGA1ND
I left him here just a few minutes ago." Johnny picked up his 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMxyFdkuREx
handbag. "We've been together for nine years. Look, he has my cell number on his collar and he's vaccinated 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvrWIZvy4Nk
." Johnny moved his bag under the Japanese maple 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmcfGxkc8r
and Cheeseburger sat 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoHak9x8PM5
next to it in the shade.581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeIfQywjDhF
"How far do you live from here?" I asked. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaN9rMUOUsj
"Not far," he said. "Back in the woods, on the other side of 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHyQRiENcNy
. We have a good tent." 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhXKYPoKjxv
"But couldn't you go to the shelter?" 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgM5hD5Em7F
"They don't take a cheeseburger and I don't go anywhere without one," he said. Every time he said 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFnk373aDX5
,581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWNxiLBcW9J
cheeseburgers, the dog's tail happily wagged 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHpiVYhDOiO
,581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT4kpdf6y4n
back and forth. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuUcFjJc97w
"Johnny, I can't leave without a cheeseburger food and water," I said. "It's 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrTquOsbVDl
, not you. It's just, well, I have this thing about dogs..." 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtzVE4kq5n7
"Fine, if it makes you happy," he said. "I'll go back 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpd0Qad2Xyp
now and finish my drink... It was nice 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcg0Fu8EDGP
meeting you, Marion. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8oQvvvRrPJ
I locked up at Walgreen's and came back with a bowl, 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI8b9AZdzxt
a large bottle of cold water, a bag of dog food, and 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfyjBfxlwX0
bones. Then I went in and picked up Johnny at 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDCsqNgtJOW
restaurant. "I thought you should come with me while I give 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvXEfHrXIDs
food and water for a cheeseburger," I told him. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡld7GnoUXMj
"Okeydoke," he said. The cheeseburger stood Johnny 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVnPoTKbhjC
and I approached. I put the food down and he took 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjrAlCcwk4G
bites of it - mostly out of politeness. He covered enough 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6HSUswkgxV
water. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtYGeTmwHn5
"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." 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyNz6oXyryC
"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. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs8p8RAyh1v
Johnny didn't seem to care. “That's how it works,” he said gently 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRkMXey1TsQ
. “Every morning Cheeseburger and I get out of our tent 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVJ2wxtvxkM
and look at the sky. And I say: Lord, we belong to you. We trust you. Take care of us one more day. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGxizWZF70B
Thank you. ” And then at night, when we fall asleep, 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXUp6bAWPp4
I look at the stars and say: “God, we still trust You.” 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM6MoAZKmne
He smiled again—that slow, easy laugh. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBywspFf9Y7
I smiled back. There was just something about his 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdEtHg7msLI
eyes that I liked. "Maybe I'll see you and the cheeseburger again sometime 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXxVPhHFKMg
," I said. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtRdzsDBViM
“Okeydoke. Me and the cheeseburger come here or go to 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQWIzkUr9jz
McDonalds most mornings. Then we walk down 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6iKGbXbmcV
to the post office. I am a painter by trade and I hope to find a job for 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq2yakT7k8H
."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8EwFW6lDkF
There was a real calm about Johnny, even 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLchseLxb9i
despite my unkind accusations. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9yQtEedRZh
I fished in my purse and found a twenty. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPFUfPCi6hJ
"Can I have this?" I asked hesitantly, not knowing how 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEiNJehtCYs
was supposed to work. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM27t8rNLeS
He did not hand over the bill, but looked at me with a 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKhSd0T51Os
satisfied expression. "You don't have to. We're 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAHy8zy2D7X
doing pretty well." 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqV6NS1S8Hu
581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi1hKLsIUMz
"I would. Very much." 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJGsFumgA2I
"Then I thank you, Marion. God bless you." 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvKZQAQFg0G
I went back to my car and turned on the 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3An84zO90Z
air conditioner. At a red light I leaned forward and looked up at the 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn5vvXbgvQu
blue cloudless sky. "Lord, I belong to you. I trust you 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYRIbyoG9b1
. Take care of me today. Thank you." 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg6Bx2HMmC8
The light changed. I stepped onto the highway 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSX4k7df6O8
fresh, not so much from the cool air, but from 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyxU58WoDhc
. unmistakable peace, the same peace I saw in Johnny's eyes.581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3itNSyIoS8
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