~How a homeless man and his devoted partner assisted me in overcoming my~ ~spiritual depression~627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhrDXAFyR63
By: Marion Bond West
627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡguOKPv1ZvY
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. 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyQUqhbxSVC
The scorching heat didn't help — August here in Georgia 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRAHUhIRkyU
can be downright unbearable. It was 100 degrees today and 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIkbtCm47CS
was pretty sticky. I turned the car's A/C on full blast 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYc43I2p8Kt
and was ready to do my chores and head home. Then 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLwuY3Hq5jJ
I saw a dog. 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvS83s7Up8p
He lay on an empty army green bag right next to the Applebee's restaurant and walked around. There is no shadow. 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMElgT9668D
Asleep, or at least I hoped he was. He could have 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyFysN5XBxM
died in this heat! I went in and found a parking space. 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGdPmj6MMZ
Then I hurried to the dog. I bowed. "Hey buddy. Are you 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLVAUavp7Bk
thirsty?" 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsC78vILHjl
I love dogs and they love me. But this one—he was 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVE5GNU1GNO
of medium height, black, gray around the muzzle—627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnfbGv30h4T
opened one eye, closed it, and turned his head away from me. On purpose. His tail did not slide. 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuMigiLvhtX
He had a collar and by the way was guarding 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTGwYHSpkDO
's bag, I thought he was waiting for his owner 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCb9pr9NhkQ
who was undoubtedly sitting in the air-conditioned condition of the restaurant! 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlzdyBJMaSF
I stormed into Applebee's ready for battle. Immediately at 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpuzbph9IGn
I noticed the owner. He sat alone at the counter, 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdDjhWe2yXe
a tall glass of iced tea in front of him. Long wavy blonde 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7yhMdCYsX9
hair and beard. Skinny, how he can't always have enough 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiPnaI7ag04
to eat. He wore jeans that had seen better days, 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS8W2zoeSYX
, but they were clean, although his arms had the faintest of 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyT9zCaRvrE
paint stains. He seemed to sense my 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt7lgYg1ybk
approach and turned the stool towards me.627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6d76iTLkcv
"Is that your dog?" I insist. 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXAGEMdIiDE
"Yes, ma'am, he is." 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhAUFchkkA
"He's out in the sun and has no water. I think he's 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyY856JyQ12
hungry too." I must have raised my voice because about 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkUktxB85GI
people looked at me. "Dogs like me, but he wouldn't even open both eyes when I talked to him." 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXBMkZVma0A
The man smiled slowly and lightly. He slipped off the 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0cFwZQskfI
stool. "That's because he wasn't properly 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMIPUx32a4j
introduced to you. Don't bother. I'll do the honors." 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBfUNEvVuAk
Introducing? I followed him outside. 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsy1xv4ygdc
He crouched next to the dog, which was sitting up and 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwHl3gQLkJ9
turned his eyes to the owner. His tail came to life. 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHHt657fSNc
"Madam, I don't know your name." 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkSPjW0v0DN
"Marion". I leaned close to them. 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfk1OMqmlxZ
"Marion, I'd like you to meet Cheeseburger. 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEZ8Ule1bLD
Cheeseburger, this lovely lady is Marion." The dog looked 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnSzGeqB2YT
straight in my eyes and offered a paw. 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPyoaL28X1N
I took it. "Hey, cheeseburger," I said. 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5jaVky7tn
He licked my hand and his tail went in high. 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuhch5t8Fev
"And I'm Johnny," said the man. 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWqxHhB5VaC
"Johnny, I'm afraid he's thirsty." 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH3Nyf0i8R8
"Oh, he's fine," she said. "This place was shady when 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrUGkn4tnhM
I left him here just a few minutes ago." Johnny picked up his 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp4Cf7rOclp
handbag. "We've been together for nine years. Look, he has my cell number on his collar and he's vaccinated 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl9HudfzwVp
." Johnny moved his bag under the Japanese maple 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFpNQT7ULsv
and Cheeseburger sat 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPVg2R8D601
next to it in the shade.627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKtlCE2ocEJ
"How far do you live from here?" I asked. 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHuPdP9aPac
"Not far," he said. "Back in the woods, on the other side of 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSaxeHfETV8
. We have a good tent." 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlrgw7duO3B
"But couldn't you go to the shelter?" 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj0AYwzjQxD
"They don't take a cheeseburger and I don't go anywhere without one," he said. Every time he said 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKbmRp0Xa2c
,627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0yXxXckqdu
cheeseburgers, the dog's tail happily wagged 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU2B19EEpJ1
,627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0bgEn6mfYW
back and forth. 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxtZQcO9moq
"Johnny, I can't leave without a cheeseburger food and water," I said. "It's 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhNBk8SFMmz
, not you. It's just, well, I have this thing about dogs..." 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpEL6N3P9l0
"Fine, if it makes you happy," he said. "I'll go back 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyEUVrdQPwo
now and finish my drink... It was nice 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxYoAWKvPeF
meeting you, Marion. 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzwqK1nOygm
I locked up at Walgreen's and came back with a bowl, 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUlRTHXBnKA
a large bottle of cold water, a bag of dog food, and 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiTmTzrtUEX
bones. Then I went in and picked up Johnny at 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKNGxPcUKWL
restaurant. "I thought you should come with me while I give 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIs7Tx402I6
food and water for a cheeseburger," I told him. 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFWiV3uDDcD
"Okeydoke," he said. The cheeseburger stood Johnny 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLeqTNkcUga
and I approached. I put the food down and he took 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFPOQeY7B2E
bites of it - mostly out of politeness. He covered enough 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzdpodBMVaw
water. 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjSwseb8riV
"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." 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8tvZmL9UD1
"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. 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡavGiQhPlIp
Johnny didn't seem to care. “That's how it works,” he said gently 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABM1NyY3Cs
. “Every morning Cheeseburger and I get out of our tent 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ42CBe7t3NI
and look at the sky. And I say: Lord, we belong to you. We trust you. Take care of us one more day. 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Hb5gwqKCs
Thank you. ” And then at night, when we fall asleep, 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5RYYhRyK39
I look at the stars and say: “God, we still trust You.” 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLbxJFwfdVZ
He smiled again—that slow, easy laugh. 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVCHS28IGAU
I smiled back. There was just something about his 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡevGvIZiTXv
eyes that I liked. "Maybe I'll see you and the cheeseburger again sometime 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHj4fTqeBts
," I said. 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsvxR71pw4v
“Okeydoke. Me and the cheeseburger come here or go to 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI9LM6lRCbc
McDonalds most mornings. Then we walk down 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBE9rYy17iA
to the post office. I am a painter by trade and I hope to find a job for 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYr6orq7gj9
."627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4KEdtWaD4u
There was a real calm about Johnny, even 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6umYAZ1NP3
despite my unkind accusations. 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu0EDrYqyiD
I fished in my purse and found a twenty. 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJM5Zayvswh
"Can I have this?" I asked hesitantly, not knowing how 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEg8helsbZb
was supposed to work. 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJRjXBIOEMY
He did not hand over the bill, but looked at me with a 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR4RmIjvuy4
satisfied expression. "You don't have to. We're 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYbo39aPIou
doing pretty well." 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM1o3LMzzS3
627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnocLQurZQq
"I would. Very much." 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTHulITFXBi
"Then I thank you, Marion. God bless you." 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0CxVzW6iVK
I went back to my car and turned on the 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS7XaHM7pIr
air conditioner. At a red light I leaned forward and looked up at the 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYhpdjcCAwF
blue cloudless sky. "Lord, I belong to you. I trust you 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb6EpZCxXb3
. Take care of me today. Thank you." 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ82LkhAQnDh
The light changed. I stepped onto the highway 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKg5pk3lmiw
fresh, not so much from the cool air, but from 627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFa94NKicRt
. unmistakable peace, the same peace I saw in Johnny's eyes.627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdfZhI946Fb
627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcYY2Oiviqi
