~How a homeless man and his devoted partner assisted me in overcoming my~ ~spiritual depression~517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhPMYdoAPrf
By: Marion Bond West
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSVuynWiBMT
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. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDCossrA7Rj
The scorching heat didn't help — August here in Georgia 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfbuMe3X1mu
can be downright unbearable. It was 100 degrees today and 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyMI0sdiSfG
was pretty sticky. I turned the car's A/C on full blast 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEkiq0q9Tvt
and was ready to do my chores and head home. Then 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHH81wks0UL
I saw a dog. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvOWxNKYzsM
He lay on an empty army green bag right next to the Applebee's restaurant and walked around. There is no shadow. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKVRJk1N6Q2
Asleep, or at least I hoped he was. He could have 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ58juSvUg0k
died in this heat! I went in and found a parking space. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCOVBqHrzru
Then I hurried to the dog. I bowed. "Hey buddy. Are you 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpAgI3vsEJe
thirsty?" 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVSPORyF7qD
I love dogs and they love me. But this one—he was 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTW8MtTysbe
of medium height, black, gray around the muzzle—517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡedOVMzyMm8
opened one eye, closed it, and turned his head away from me. On purpose. His tail did not slide. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHknioIiBnU
He had a collar and by the way was guarding 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBAhVdpMXED
's bag, I thought he was waiting for his owner 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZueZBQ7JtZ
who was undoubtedly sitting in the air-conditioned condition of the restaurant! 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpzlxNBwiyC
I stormed into Applebee's ready for battle. Immediately at 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUaEGXCn0U1
I noticed the owner. He sat alone at the counter, 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6FccO2LzSQ
a tall glass of iced tea in front of him. Long wavy blonde 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIVCusI9Tll
hair and beard. Skinny, how he can't always have enough 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoGEgUhQdrd
to eat. He wore jeans that had seen better days, 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdXxGHtaiip
, but they were clean, although his arms had the faintest of 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLPrO04wuQf
paint stains. He seemed to sense my 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5RekIDmmZ8
approach and turned the stool towards me.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6hcPFFLv2N
"Is that your dog?" I insist. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQtQ3vhM8ND
"Yes, ma'am, he is." 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0x3q0x71OE
"He's out in the sun and has no water. I think he's 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ96DvtD6tUe
hungry too." I must have raised my voice because about 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXyn4sJ453T
people looked at me. "Dogs like me, but he wouldn't even open both eyes when I talked to him." 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqYpzc2xEhc
The man smiled slowly and lightly. He slipped off the 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtqrf0akQT2
stool. "That's because he wasn't properly 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3UyLxz5Ihh
introduced to you. Don't bother. I'll do the honors." 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1IdAetAMZ8
Introducing? I followed him outside. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvvL1laeOAa
He crouched next to the dog, which was sitting up and 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8zqHCHVQRr
turned his eyes to the owner. His tail came to life. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqpmP9AwEhl
"Madam, I don't know your name." 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnQFNwgphNe
"Marion". I leaned close to them. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVei2C94zps
"Marion, I'd like you to meet Cheeseburger. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6QGdn1Fatw
Cheeseburger, this lovely lady is Marion." The dog looked 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBDQolE2zzt
straight in my eyes and offered a paw. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd3CrNtUOs8
I took it. "Hey, cheeseburger," I said. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNfnhF7FbjP
He licked my hand and his tail went in high. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlo51Rrx71D
"And I'm Johnny," said the man. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡypmTVXkPJa
"Johnny, I'm afraid he's thirsty." 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcebbQGi5uJ
"Oh, he's fine," she said. "This place was shady when 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNSR8Dq3UuG
I left him here just a few minutes ago." Johnny picked up his 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4LEsFuvjTG
handbag. "We've been together for nine years. Look, he has my cell number on his collar and he's vaccinated 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw1clojJNgg
." Johnny moved his bag under the Japanese maple 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1T7fHXzxvW
and Cheeseburger sat 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMn7KSbxnkd
next to it in the shade.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd8T4IkpuC3
"How far do you live from here?" I asked. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQRGbYgXFMU
"Not far," he said. "Back in the woods, on the other side of 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAPGIsygXwI
. We have a good tent." 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu0JXM8YkFG
"But couldn't you go to the shelter?" 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9dzRjLQ0bn
"They don't take a cheeseburger and I don't go anywhere without one," he said. Every time he said 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj7MmDNtVd0
,517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZRzaosQqI
cheeseburgers, the dog's tail happily wagged 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYvC8KrOk2t
,517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmGgT1We0aB
back and forth. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnPKJJVo2R1
"Johnny, I can't leave without a cheeseburger food and water," I said. "It's 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFSELPcdll
, not you. It's just, well, I have this thing about dogs..." 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpRdeVqRNp
"Fine, if it makes you happy," he said. "I'll go back 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyOi9zMDjCl
now and finish my drink... It was nice 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGTqkZ1EZ8F
meeting you, Marion. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj8QCTJz9W8
I locked up at Walgreen's and came back with a bowl, 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgOxQ7wwhQs
a large bottle of cold water, a bag of dog food, and 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY76HSgpAVq
bones. Then I went in and picked up Johnny at 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe7pMcoGs2Q
restaurant. "I thought you should come with me while I give 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy7OWQSxKiW
food and water for a cheeseburger," I told him. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4yb7CmIxCa
"Okeydoke," he said. The cheeseburger stood Johnny 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVNc2G0F5Kp
and I approached. I put the food down and he took 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDIbla3EyP4
bites of it - mostly out of politeness. He covered enough 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP6cg6NfWdN
water. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ZqZMdfHnM
"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." 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxs6manyKTW
"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. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFYanu5exhn
Johnny didn't seem to care. “That's how it works,” he said gently 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0mzoJ1aBe
. “Every morning Cheeseburger and I get out of our tent 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLff4lX9Wz4
and look at the sky. And I say: Lord, we belong to you. We trust you. Take care of us one more day. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS2TbbZ4r2f
Thank you. ” And then at night, when we fall asleep, 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbVyFv5xbZ5
I look at the stars and say: “God, we still trust You.” 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtShNGGPSU4
He smiled again—that slow, easy laugh. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWDw0hi5Eiy
I smiled back. There was just something about his 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhhgGcuXDWD
eyes that I liked. "Maybe I'll see you and the cheeseburger again sometime 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAKXpjr5hFa
," I said. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbaHUMEnAi3
“Okeydoke. Me and the cheeseburger come here or go to 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBsACpbhlp0
McDonalds most mornings. Then we walk down 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0lVLuNjVHY
to the post office. I am a painter by trade and I hope to find a job for 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8WzAEBA6Br
."517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0qy3Mh2mPL
There was a real calm about Johnny, even 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZb7exWysb
despite my unkind accusations. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ZniUCcTKU
I fished in my purse and found a twenty. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBlBlIK6yfK
"Can I have this?" I asked hesitantly, not knowing how 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHDrqk996RN
was supposed to work. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4SaxUph4bk
He did not hand over the bill, but looked at me with a 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpOtF5h2UG
satisfied expression. "You don't have to. We're 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDdqcoKItMB
doing pretty well." 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrlF17mjpMh
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡODLGeplDB7
"I would. Very much." 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRssVEtTbYm
"Then I thank you, Marion. God bless you." 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrq6M7ts1rO
I went back to my car and turned on the 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw8NEiUmjcG
air conditioner. At a red light I leaned forward and looked up at the 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡotJXYe6BPh
blue cloudless sky. "Lord, I belong to you. I trust you 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGoFkseSp0
. Take care of me today. Thank you." 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaq7dZC9T5O
The light changed. I stepped onto the highway 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTtVt1ROMx8
fresh, not so much from the cool air, but from 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXR48S1BsAj
. unmistakable peace, the same peace I saw in Johnny's eyes.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjKcsvfyM7k
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjoR7mHUYDY
