~How a homeless man and his devoted partner assisted me in overcoming my~ ~spiritual depression~534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAqFXpxRXla
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. 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAcHPGbblIh
The scorching heat didn't help — August here in Georgia 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhAyVdOzIrB
can be downright unbearable. It was 100 degrees today and 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIjVkV1ig7
was pretty sticky. I turned the car's A/C on full blast 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvcu0EitCe
and was ready to do my chores and head home. Then 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0GdfuFHO7D
I saw a dog. 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlMveKdRLWC
He lay on an empty army green bag right next to the Applebee's restaurant and walked around. There is no shadow. 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9fvCFmqEZQ
Asleep, or at least I hoped he was. He could have 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCUahmLJirR
died in this heat! I went in and found a parking space. 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg7Nl8O6jiv
Then I hurried to the dog. I bowed. "Hey buddy. Are you 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb2GYKWPpZF
thirsty?" 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqSJcV2iE7I
I love dogs and they love me. But this one—he was 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8TRk8LILmK
of medium height, black, gray around the muzzle—534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq4ZEnybbqx
opened one eye, closed it, and turned his head away from me. On purpose. His tail did not slide. 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVcu4RKfpLi
He had a collar and by the way was guarding 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuHcgwxsW1M
's bag, I thought he was waiting for his owner 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3LLB4xGpLD
who was undoubtedly sitting in the air-conditioned condition of the restaurant! 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS47e1VvyEs
I stormed into Applebee's ready for battle. Immediately at 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIuGU2Xnzw5
I noticed the owner. He sat alone at the counter, 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoHqOSvIvym
a tall glass of iced tea in front of him. Long wavy blonde 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDz8z4MVZ9k
hair and beard. Skinny, how he can't always have enough 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnTgOEy6q5v
to eat. He wore jeans that had seen better days, 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFtO8DK0JAD
, but they were clean, although his arms had the faintest of 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWRq0aJAnhH
paint stains. He seemed to sense my 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu0mWir6eB4
approach and turned the stool towards me.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa1SZQ2mXsO
"Is that your dog?" I insist. 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPK0KRV3pDt
"Yes, ma'am, he is." 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡURIiFAuTkJ
"He's out in the sun and has no water. I think he's 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4uckNuAUgm
hungry too." I must have raised my voice because about 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM8aPNnCbXr
people looked at me. "Dogs like me, but he wouldn't even open both eyes when I talked to him." 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMgDAIxEwCE
The man smiled slowly and lightly. He slipped off the 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKOZIEXUCQX
stool. "That's because he wasn't properly 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ev5arZHtN
introduced to you. Don't bother. I'll do the honors." 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDtU88Hikk
Introducing? I followed him outside. 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡytPqC6SA20
He crouched next to the dog, which was sitting up and 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcqtggqBOb1
turned his eyes to the owner. His tail came to life. 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCAqo35JY3L
"Madam, I don't know your name." 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu5AIuK0JyZ
"Marion". I leaned close to them. 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ98MKAINStY
"Marion, I'd like you to meet Cheeseburger. 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7RNPIC4k3O
Cheeseburger, this lovely lady is Marion." The dog looked 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdJWLAQ6bTi
straight in my eyes and offered a paw. 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRPsziy2to1
I took it. "Hey, cheeseburger," I said. 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEHFEVHnQCy
He licked my hand and his tail went in high. 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvdXKrO703g
"And I'm Johnny," said the man. 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdMJ0VN9G33
"Johnny, I'm afraid he's thirsty." 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXc1AMvKM3D
"Oh, he's fine," she said. "This place was shady when 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8yxopBU5gU
I left him here just a few minutes ago." Johnny picked up his 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5vcqdQwFw4
handbag. "We've been together for nine years. Look, he has my cell number on his collar and he's vaccinated 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ01wu2TFgWh
." Johnny moved his bag under the Japanese maple 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJIlcMThRsX
and Cheeseburger sat 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnGsHGYhlqi
next to it in the shade.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA5GXvCRIzT
"How far do you live from here?" I asked. 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrxBBevS9YC
"Not far," he said. "Back in the woods, on the other side of 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfVKRSIKovT
. We have a good tent." 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbVgNlO4KO4
"But couldn't you go to the shelter?" 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrhfKY0Kd3Z
"They don't take a cheeseburger and I don't go anywhere without one," he said. Every time he said 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0H4OzXBKE
,534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHvyaxnxlvE
cheeseburgers, the dog's tail happily wagged 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWSiTkU5bZ4
,534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxAR1fB50ye
back and forth. 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBTLDCSZ9rw
"Johnny, I can't leave without a cheeseburger food and water," I said. "It's 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvoxECzd87f
, not you. It's just, well, I have this thing about dogs..." 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1JzzvnfIaN
"Fine, if it makes you happy," he said. "I'll go back 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOIRD3wi0nU
now and finish my drink... It was nice 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEZrys4Bi8m
meeting you, Marion. 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2bQ5A73x62
I locked up at Walgreen's and came back with a bowl, 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ39xKt0vz15
a large bottle of cold water, a bag of dog food, and 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAsizk50F3o
bones. Then I went in and picked up Johnny at 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAVOPfOxnlf
restaurant. "I thought you should come with me while I give 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN0JDUGCWzv
food and water for a cheeseburger," I told him. 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5demKIfL5Y
"Okeydoke," he said. The cheeseburger stood Johnny 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWWhEFyeb1v
and I approached. I put the food down and he took 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ341BZJ3B35
bites of it - mostly out of politeness. He covered enough 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3zfj2WUfX
water. 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHsQFeNvUoY
"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." 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJTlazQ9KNi
"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. 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzKNbPiuJC
Johnny didn't seem to care. “That's how it works,” he said gently 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHa2RzLZIW3
. “Every morning Cheeseburger and I get out of our tent 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcZFI8IevZu
and look at the sky. And I say: Lord, we belong to you. We trust you. Take care of us one more day. 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMyKUPaitp5
Thank you. ” And then at night, when we fall asleep, 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWvH4E5u4Im
I look at the stars and say: “God, we still trust You.” 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ83ncZhX9I
He smiled again—that slow, easy laugh. 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKXVYv9wvuh
I smiled back. There was just something about his 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGLgIRstDeF
eyes that I liked. "Maybe I'll see you and the cheeseburger again sometime 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRoj4NOkVEG
," I said. 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8d6jtj0Qpl
“Okeydoke. Me and the cheeseburger come here or go to 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbHi2T0WpoG
McDonalds most mornings. Then we walk down 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBeJuTQJPT9
to the post office. I am a painter by trade and I hope to find a job for 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRHlbbubG09
."534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjuJ4RjamUZ
There was a real calm about Johnny, even 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiuSep8plRz
despite my unkind accusations. 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxoroE597bY
I fished in my purse and found a twenty. 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxflH9iOVbz
"Can I have this?" I asked hesitantly, not knowing how 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyO4YMXJuUv
was supposed to work. 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRry7Jt559p
He did not hand over the bill, but looked at me with a 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IAPTvSdft
satisfied expression. "You don't have to. We're 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDy61yEfgEH
doing pretty well." 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAXEbR90ex
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"I would. Very much." 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl2NYMpvdEa
"Then I thank you, Marion. God bless you." 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDl684bXdzL
I went back to my car and turned on the 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4v3FS9610f
air conditioner. At a red light I leaned forward and looked up at the 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuqWmfJdLCa
blue cloudless sky. "Lord, I belong to you. I trust you 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeTEq3hxHnU
. Take care of me today. Thank you." 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKRUQaGRGp
The light changed. I stepped onto the highway 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYYQmqOjqN0
fresh, not so much from the cool air, but from 534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCRdiLdxoj
. unmistakable peace, the same peace I saw in Johnny's eyes.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBzQ6KLdArq
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