~How a homeless man and his devoted partner assisted me in overcoming my~ ~spiritual depression~628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxhJGjRBumK
By: Marion Bond West
628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTCFD4QPCB5
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. 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡejf030MWdM
The scorching heat didn't help — August here in Georgia 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2KzXbJBh2n
can be downright unbearable. It was 100 degrees today and 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSAtigcZnGZ
was pretty sticky. I turned the car's A/C on full blast 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBX5unqmxMx
and was ready to do my chores and head home. Then 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRgkLlHtb9X
I saw a dog. 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQNoOj058k1
He lay on an empty army green bag right next to the Applebee's restaurant and walked around. There is no shadow. 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpbWoMldrja
Asleep, or at least I hoped he was. He could have 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf3zXwTtvsm
died in this heat! I went in and found a parking space. 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC7vlZfIWyc
Then I hurried to the dog. I bowed. "Hey buddy. Are you 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCT3WLeRif9
thirsty?" 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxbw7e57x9D
I love dogs and they love me. But this one—he was 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOeGucI2vdv
of medium height, black, gray around the muzzle—628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1lELQ1hhMh
opened one eye, closed it, and turned his head away from me. On purpose. His tail did not slide. 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyqtUquTZ7F
He had a collar and by the way was guarding 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd6d8tWv3TT
's bag, I thought he was waiting for his owner 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4cH5tYVCFR
who was undoubtedly sitting in the air-conditioned condition of the restaurant! 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy9mFTcNW5D
I stormed into Applebee's ready for battle. Immediately at 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW9MZN89Y7z
I noticed the owner. He sat alone at the counter, 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy5FMGz4w0l
a tall glass of iced tea in front of him. Long wavy blonde 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGfrjOxMVaH
hair and beard. Skinny, how he can't always have enough 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg3aE01aqic
to eat. He wore jeans that had seen better days, 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzzV5PyyTKk
, but they were clean, although his arms had the faintest of 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmEcw5235P
paint stains. He seemed to sense my 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoTAT0IqEGj
approach and turned the stool towards me.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡes66sBsYU6
"Is that your dog?" I insist. 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmdnNCmPRuI
"Yes, ma'am, he is." 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcTc2D7bX4C
"He's out in the sun and has no water. I think he's 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7yQLybqrR9
hungry too." I must have raised my voice because about 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ68a1krTDg7
people looked at me. "Dogs like me, but he wouldn't even open both eyes when I talked to him." 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGBhfJcuYYG
The man smiled slowly and lightly. He slipped off the 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4vaZgtmizV
stool. "That's because he wasn't properly 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeHDohYBWS1
introduced to you. Don't bother. I'll do the honors." 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUgPVes97t
Introducing? I followed him outside. 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfSPYQqfytf
He crouched next to the dog, which was sitting up and 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0MBQl4IXqq
turned his eyes to the owner. His tail came to life. 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1RkaZJAhsm
"Madam, I don't know your name." 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdliN2QA1Ao
"Marion". I leaned close to them. 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZy4S7wkh7
"Marion, I'd like you to meet Cheeseburger. 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEx9HmufXJV
Cheeseburger, this lovely lady is Marion." The dog looked 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWfsNkCxzS9
straight in my eyes and offered a paw. 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9JGwBbkbpi
I took it. "Hey, cheeseburger," I said. 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkjQoSC2Sde
He licked my hand and his tail went in high. 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDmz49BBq6d
"And I'm Johnny," said the man. 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡORKg3J5qgP
"Johnny, I'm afraid he's thirsty." 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoGtRT9G1oT
"Oh, he's fine," she said. "This place was shady when 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsskXp6d5bj
I left him here just a few minutes ago." Johnny picked up his 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0NouJNYgwI
handbag. "We've been together for nine years. Look, he has my cell number on his collar and he's vaccinated 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa5VBxbLI2s
." Johnny moved his bag under the Japanese maple 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUgxLm9l1va
and Cheeseburger sat 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3cXcUjW6Of
next to it in the shade.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgNtiZnITs6
"How far do you live from here?" I asked. 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5cpLn2bw4d
"Not far," he said. "Back in the woods, on the other side of 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKwMf4cwf0D
. We have a good tent." 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVQsyJedAh
"But couldn't you go to the shelter?" 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNb5uTwpr9V
"They don't take a cheeseburger and I don't go anywhere without one," he said. Every time he said 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡceFrD56QFT
,628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlpyZ0XNtv9
cheeseburgers, the dog's tail happily wagged 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzyBNJDwmgC
,628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdk6pwYMNeI
back and forth. 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDkgMnzbTAJ
"Johnny, I can't leave without a cheeseburger food and water," I said. "It's 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqfct5Pbgny
, not you. It's just, well, I have this thing about dogs..." 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJJDP7qhIYo
"Fine, if it makes you happy," he said. "I'll go back 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcYqgOe7knO
now and finish my drink... It was nice 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOh9q1nKXTZ
meeting you, Marion. 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUikI6fOPph
I locked up at Walgreen's and came back with a bowl, 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUlTeFANjnI
a large bottle of cold water, a bag of dog food, and 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6MC6VxfOEM
bones. Then I went in and picked up Johnny at 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhbfwuDkasK
restaurant. "I thought you should come with me while I give 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBv7VNKkN6G
food and water for a cheeseburger," I told him. 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡst4SIQIsPt
"Okeydoke," he said. The cheeseburger stood Johnny 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHTcTxwof0y
and I approached. I put the food down and he took 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQxwILIMwvG
bites of it - mostly out of politeness. He covered enough 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zgdofdMLT
water. 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡupZCZ99soA
"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." 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtmo5uxOQI4
"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. 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR5ekANzfrF
Johnny didn't seem to care. “That's how it works,” he said gently 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ofQsjhtT4
. “Every morning Cheeseburger and I get out of our tent 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3i0oOlZRor
and look at the sky. And I say: Lord, we belong to you. We trust you. Take care of us one more day. 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbAh3KOnl4l
Thank you. ” And then at night, when we fall asleep, 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLY5joEZJek
I look at the stars and say: “God, we still trust You.” 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1LWTQz4629
He smiled again—that slow, easy laugh. 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiUh9vvFWA0
I smiled back. There was just something about his 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbBXhBknpUS
eyes that I liked. "Maybe I'll see you and the cheeseburger again sometime 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGXfasCCYyU
," I said. 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwrdXxFuqrO
“Okeydoke. Me and the cheeseburger come here or go to 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNVCdI7ZYLX
McDonalds most mornings. Then we walk down 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSWHYamgmx2
to the post office. I am a painter by trade and I hope to find a job for 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzPLuKA7bN7
."628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡemqOpTiwO6
There was a real calm about Johnny, even 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4OUqxOYqlF
despite my unkind accusations. 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDnvvjM5NKZ
I fished in my purse and found a twenty. 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg57Dpcsvic
"Can I have this?" I asked hesitantly, not knowing how 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqFLwREGVWA
was supposed to work. 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY6dSnYzSR9
He did not hand over the bill, but looked at me with a 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGi3cpWcByw
satisfied expression. "You don't have to. We're 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡleI69ROvpA
doing pretty well." 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFomFVzL5no
628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiYbg9AbtEL
"I would. Very much." 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWOIyKokgUA
"Then I thank you, Marion. God bless you." 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiojCkT51fU
I went back to my car and turned on the 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW7642pwTFP
air conditioner. At a red light I leaned forward and looked up at the 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIdOj1qAhQj
blue cloudless sky. "Lord, I belong to you. I trust you 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeoc6RgOysV
. Take care of me today. Thank you." 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0CbGtnKZ4
The light changed. I stepped onto the highway 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLrw1jM1BeW
fresh, not so much from the cool air, but from 628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaWwUb9zyMm
. unmistakable peace, the same peace I saw in Johnny's eyes.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvNahFZBEDe
628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcwpMabVQVI
