~How a homeless man and his devoted partner assisted me in overcoming my~ ~spiritual depression~539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc3Gn3DwVLC
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. 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiZ9qOYH1C2
The scorching heat didn't help — August here in Georgia 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJKBAcLBPF
can be downright unbearable. It was 100 degrees today and 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFwdfsHmpQz
was pretty sticky. I turned the car's A/C on full blast 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4EYHoBCuAI
and was ready to do my chores and head home. Then 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ068OPJYAYE
I saw a dog. 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG4LTurf9bD
He lay on an empty army green bag right next to the Applebee's restaurant and walked around. There is no shadow. 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI0Md8SSKi6
Asleep, or at least I hoped he was. He could have 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcqKxY7G02N
died in this heat! I went in and found a parking space. 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk10qwvij2A
Then I hurried to the dog. I bowed. "Hey buddy. Are you 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ93FR9z9fP8
thirsty?" 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUZJj8odgUU
I love dogs and they love me. But this one—he was 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLRuIZYx1kt
of medium height, black, gray around the muzzle—539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmeydbUgB02
opened one eye, closed it, and turned his head away from me. On purpose. His tail did not slide. 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaahxuvsMkt
He had a collar and by the way was guarding 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIyFCVEQymO
's bag, I thought he was waiting for his owner 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKidH0Df0Ml
who was undoubtedly sitting in the air-conditioned condition of the restaurant! 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmRQO53NpW3
I stormed into Applebee's ready for battle. Immediately at 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPifwlAtxFY
I noticed the owner. He sat alone at the counter, 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1iRFwiqESD
a tall glass of iced tea in front of him. Long wavy blonde 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8IcrC022wi
hair and beard. Skinny, how he can't always have enough 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0clwEd3z3v
to eat. He wore jeans that had seen better days, 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡioqqxFGzT4
, but they were clean, although his arms had the faintest of 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTJ4kCAjnnR
paint stains. He seemed to sense my 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOOKvmvqUeE
approach and turned the stool towards me.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwFzu6hWmUx
"Is that your dog?" I insist. 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFENt3H9Fvn
"Yes, ma'am, he is." 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPtgU9o0kD4
"He's out in the sun and has no water. I think he's 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡInb9SpYnjs
hungry too." I must have raised my voice because about 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5sSbm8j426
people looked at me. "Dogs like me, but he wouldn't even open both eyes when I talked to him." 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0nCkwaqbDp
The man smiled slowly and lightly. He slipped off the 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEaIKlvOVPc
stool. "That's because he wasn't properly 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJOLFk8G6eS
introduced to you. Don't bother. I'll do the honors." 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpyBuGRo4T
Introducing? I followed him outside. 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaozxU6fxxI
He crouched next to the dog, which was sitting up and 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7mwZ9H3lB
turned his eyes to the owner. His tail came to life. 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA8FmQkOQ2D
"Madam, I don't know your name." 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT2HPimYAQ9
"Marion". I leaned close to them. 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIYPqVwdVKB
"Marion, I'd like you to meet Cheeseburger. 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf9iuzdtLcB
Cheeseburger, this lovely lady is Marion." The dog looked 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4wNEHJ2VVA
straight in my eyes and offered a paw. 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1pskF4a9dZ
I took it. "Hey, cheeseburger," I said. 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6SiutnyPE9
He licked my hand and his tail went in high. 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0m2dG32urk
"And I'm Johnny," said the man. 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT5BCnpxzMV
"Johnny, I'm afraid he's thirsty." 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡonuMhXdNI2
"Oh, he's fine," she said. "This place was shady when 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6phOn3Szfi
I left him here just a few minutes ago." Johnny picked up his 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2WZCSSEgsr
handbag. "We've been together for nine years. Look, he has my cell number on his collar and he's vaccinated 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq9NBlXcVM3
." Johnny moved his bag under the Japanese maple 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbwiFgAbFoJ
and Cheeseburger sat 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaznIY2iF6L
next to it in the shade.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk62dNDPTQb
"How far do you live from here?" I asked. 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQYHJxxzP6v
"Not far," he said. "Back in the woods, on the other side of 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw72QHVwiMc
. We have a good tent." 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVut1xpypDC
"But couldn't you go to the shelter?" 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Bk1rIuoBP
"They don't take a cheeseburger and I don't go anywhere without one," he said. Every time he said 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6LGXlivF6d
,539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYdhw8eWfYE
cheeseburgers, the dog's tail happily wagged 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqflk07OwBK
,539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSDt4UijGDz
back and forth. 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHDNg0EkaX9
"Johnny, I can't leave without a cheeseburger food and water," I said. "It's 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIY9FMOSjUb
, not you. It's just, well, I have this thing about dogs..." 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfLwYOoB3jr
"Fine, if it makes you happy," he said. "I'll go back 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ04L013Dyag
now and finish my drink... It was nice 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMkNPeLBAHz
meeting you, Marion. 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8MjW5GuMtO
I locked up at Walgreen's and came back with a bowl, 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIDuP18vQRw
a large bottle of cold water, a bag of dog food, and 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgOTgZ6Hzj7
bones. Then I went in and picked up Johnny at 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaenqx9TJTK
restaurant. "I thought you should come with me while I give 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡScUhbsiL8I
food and water for a cheeseburger," I told him. 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy44UmbqImq
"Okeydoke," he said. The cheeseburger stood Johnny 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuNUiHU42IT
and I approached. I put the food down and he took 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHbuwSzBMyF
bites of it - mostly out of politeness. He covered enough 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRz432sQxnY
water. 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl69VSYJ9Oa
"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." 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGoUewqdh7n
"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. 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGF9JNdn3wp
Johnny didn't seem to care. “That's how it works,” he said gently 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQrYdGiv9s
. “Every morning Cheeseburger and I get out of our tent 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQaLpxPV7bJ
and look at the sky. And I say: Lord, we belong to you. We trust you. Take care of us one more day. 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡncWMIKtgy5
Thank you. ” And then at night, when we fall asleep, 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRAlJjfJtAK
I look at the stars and say: “God, we still trust You.” 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4fOVxpXL7u
He smiled again—that slow, easy laugh. 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnWDVnFOgxK
I smiled back. There was just something about his 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCtFfCvIsJe
eyes that I liked. "Maybe I'll see you and the cheeseburger again sometime 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV8je7rCNbq
," I said. 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv9qIcPUJfJ
“Okeydoke. Me and the cheeseburger come here or go to 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF4kAiv07da
McDonalds most mornings. Then we walk down 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOzzW8GoP8K
to the post office. I am a painter by trade and I hope to find a job for 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMIDjbAsnKB
."539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCEoTuakCy7
There was a real calm about Johnny, even 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfeyLhj5VYy
despite my unkind accusations. 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8AVRCMfW1F
I fished in my purse and found a twenty. 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Kb2rPCgVb
"Can I have this?" I asked hesitantly, not knowing how 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9iWgZAwx7F
was supposed to work. 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXwfcJd3DnS
He did not hand over the bill, but looked at me with a 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTfKM9XTB8c
satisfied expression. "You don't have to. We're 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt7kNboodRb
doing pretty well." 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkkFy5Eiwqr
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"I would. Very much." 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnEgKTgx1jH
"Then I thank you, Marion. God bless you." 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa1S8JaLmku
I went back to my car and turned on the 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp8lTvNjOtC
air conditioner. At a red light I leaned forward and looked up at the 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIkQK0sFo8Y
blue cloudless sky. "Lord, I belong to you. I trust you 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMzJR7oqzIC
. Take care of me today. Thank you." 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkeIqzmZGFC
The light changed. I stepped onto the highway 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaaSRHooRi6
fresh, not so much from the cool air, but from 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLqVYRArSJk
. unmistakable peace, the same peace I saw in Johnny's eyes.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHQ18Che6hm
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