~How a homeless man and his devoted partner assisted me in overcoming my~ ~spiritual depression~619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJfX4ZJs5dL
By: Marion Bond West
619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6dF3l8wxO7
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. 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUzTZDWHtCN
The scorching heat didn't help — August here in Georgia 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0XAVTbXoz0
can be downright unbearable. It was 100 degrees today and 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJMnMiCZL1f
was pretty sticky. I turned the car's A/C on full blast 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcTxMLk7W8E
and was ready to do my chores and head home. Then 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXUGrK6hGVl
I saw a dog. 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAm3Mw3cq5u
He lay on an empty army green bag right next to the Applebee's restaurant and walked around. There is no shadow. 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRjMOnIeWTe
Asleep, or at least I hoped he was. He could have 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3OgQOjskpV
died in this heat! I went in and found a parking space. 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVRmm9bwz6X
Then I hurried to the dog. I bowed. "Hey buddy. Are you 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtugcO33Un1
thirsty?" 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAEIB4tpu7D
I love dogs and they love me. But this one—he was 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiQ4rLzZqBa
of medium height, black, gray around the muzzle—619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiKvl1tXzaT
opened one eye, closed it, and turned his head away from me. On purpose. His tail did not slide. 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTRIfTV1I4B
He had a collar and by the way was guarding 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgLydZvb8m8
's bag, I thought he was waiting for his owner 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm5xTG4E1To
who was undoubtedly sitting in the air-conditioned condition of the restaurant! 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp5ymZTOcL4
I stormed into Applebee's ready for battle. Immediately at 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡREVrIvWqxS
I noticed the owner. He sat alone at the counter, 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSN9ILDQTIY
a tall glass of iced tea in front of him. Long wavy blonde 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ57XFrPeQOY
hair and beard. Skinny, how he can't always have enough 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWwS8UJ0SJA
to eat. He wore jeans that had seen better days, 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs60Q5rpI9k
, but they were clean, although his arms had the faintest of 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7PKrk9ylYr
paint stains. He seemed to sense my 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxixUKZc7IX
approach and turned the stool towards me.619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ4t50tpAVa
"Is that your dog?" I insist. 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr3UK8FlLsk
"Yes, ma'am, he is." 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQJlvQdVZNp
"He's out in the sun and has no water. I think he's 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7woVJB5iy9
hungry too." I must have raised my voice because about 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRcvFzQyyxj
people looked at me. "Dogs like me, but he wouldn't even open both eyes when I talked to him." 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2hlijdsWDS
The man smiled slowly and lightly. He slipped off the 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWL3U1vlWXU
stool. "That's because he wasn't properly 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTM5xE47Xk8
introduced to you. Don't bother. I'll do the honors." 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnFua03dp4G
Introducing? I followed him outside. 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf5SNKr5ken
He crouched next to the dog, which was sitting up and 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmt2BtFV3mc
turned his eyes to the owner. His tail came to life. 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ15HltaHFIp
"Madam, I don't know your name." 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeEOVEnZKo3
"Marion". I leaned close to them. 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4OSNJkLs4u
"Marion, I'd like you to meet Cheeseburger. 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLlAdNJAfZL
Cheeseburger, this lovely lady is Marion." The dog looked 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkSXMYZROWM
straight in my eyes and offered a paw. 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqeMkHfbnp7
I took it. "Hey, cheeseburger," I said. 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAtp5qIUeoi
He licked my hand and his tail went in high. 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc7MzPEKUQw
"And I'm Johnny," said the man. 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGGsA73ERJk
"Johnny, I'm afraid he's thirsty." 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm8hdDKQkib
"Oh, he's fine," she said. "This place was shady when 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfuq6DHyULV
I left him here just a few minutes ago." Johnny picked up his 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVsOs78I6yx
handbag. "We've been together for nine years. Look, he has my cell number on his collar and he's vaccinated 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg4b5mgZT2L
." Johnny moved his bag under the Japanese maple 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5eq1MTWiZD
and Cheeseburger sat 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZmmygmotJm
next to it in the shade.619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbFtNCScZnR
"How far do you live from here?" I asked. 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZI8A8R5oLl
"Not far," he said. "Back in the woods, on the other side of 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1WnipBC6hk
. We have a good tent." 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8rpEm39sLJ
"But couldn't you go to the shelter?" 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1JW3VVYR4q
"They don't take a cheeseburger and I don't go anywhere without one," he said. Every time he said 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2hQzMNwm4L
,619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyjiT2lM7jn
cheeseburgers, the dog's tail happily wagged 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9jk590cYD
,619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkvkiQVbAoD
back and forth. 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIrIiHN9wBe
"Johnny, I can't leave without a cheeseburger food and water," I said. "It's 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLALsFh0Vlf
, not you. It's just, well, I have this thing about dogs..." 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4yLK1llR5x
"Fine, if it makes you happy," he said. "I'll go back 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBnb7O4vVQP
now and finish my drink... It was nice 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrublzA2OXW
meeting you, Marion. 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrPHRTcnnw8
I locked up at Walgreen's and came back with a bowl, 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYbg0ITbCAB
a large bottle of cold water, a bag of dog food, and 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhKx9yPXhc9
bones. Then I went in and picked up Johnny at 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ntgrmzbQQ
restaurant. "I thought you should come with me while I give 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCX8yM09TM8
food and water for a cheeseburger," I told him. 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPKF5MDTnRg
"Okeydoke," he said. The cheeseburger stood Johnny 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzAFyodK4M4
and I approached. I put the food down and he took 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjQYMGWpYnM
bites of it - mostly out of politeness. He covered enough 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc1LXHQbCdV
water. 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLYtvRjiLi6
"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." 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ78HK9Uf9x0
"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. 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqWjvLyCpvp
Johnny didn't seem to care. “That's how it works,” he said gently 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSWiVKJpaXB
. “Every morning Cheeseburger and I get out of our tent 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFIZ0et1RrD
and look at the sky. And I say: Lord, we belong to you. We trust you. Take care of us one more day. 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4jeYBZamS8
Thank you. ” And then at night, when we fall asleep, 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOEajzy0CKf
I look at the stars and say: “God, we still trust You.” 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmc5R0ZQsGK
He smiled again—that slow, easy laugh. 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3kaMpRobue
I smiled back. There was just something about his 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHR3sJF4qT5
eyes that I liked. "Maybe I'll see you and the cheeseburger again sometime 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdPkf1SZz2c
," I said. 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6u0bVkh70x
“Okeydoke. Me and the cheeseburger come here or go to 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJR6jinqvi
McDonalds most mornings. Then we walk down 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELCdx712pY
to the post office. I am a painter by trade and I hope to find a job for 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGuhZfCQgm2
."619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaRjVP53myD
There was a real calm about Johnny, even 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHkFgLLb5uh
despite my unkind accusations. 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ6R9T71s1a
I fished in my purse and found a twenty. 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0JtIxemkOw
"Can I have this?" I asked hesitantly, not knowing how 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ56ejJI6KZ8
was supposed to work. 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ1msLhTZBq
He did not hand over the bill, but looked at me with a 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcAvvWIGiKx
satisfied expression. "You don't have to. We're 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡorDS2JY7Pu
doing pretty well." 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnrHWuNSOCR
619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxo4kBnLCAA
"I would. Very much." 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBdGxPm4cmc
"Then I thank you, Marion. God bless you." 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGXN17uDp8h
I went back to my car and turned on the 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8g2AlIH5qh
air conditioner. At a red light I leaned forward and looked up at the 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzKcX5FeyuC
blue cloudless sky. "Lord, I belong to you. I trust you 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKdJZmUSaa9
. Take care of me today. Thank you." 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8YBgaWLJjW
The light changed. I stepped onto the highway 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzTKwihWPoU
fresh, not so much from the cool air, but from 619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ89QdTwO4X4
. unmistakable peace, the same peace I saw in Johnny's eyes.619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnIkaRBeOlE
619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85DJr26YKA
