~How a homeless man and his devoted partner assisted me in overcoming my~ ~spiritual depression~540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0XzEkycAw6
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. 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMkWg5cKzZw
The scorching heat didn't help — August here in Georgia 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUfqVIEOezZ
can be downright unbearable. It was 100 degrees today and 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0SGRNuvf9I
was pretty sticky. I turned the car's A/C on full blast 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq4VGewBpwY
and was ready to do my chores and head home. Then 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6L2rtDwSl5
I saw a dog. 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD4Vss2CaVO
He lay on an empty army green bag right next to the Applebee's restaurant and walked around. There is no shadow. 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2vMaAPKkxR
Asleep, or at least I hoped he was. He could have 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpQNPtERq5V
died in this heat! I went in and found a parking space. 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWM6T2oQVx0
Then I hurried to the dog. I bowed. "Hey buddy. Are you 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzNSiV4tjax
thirsty?" 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmLAhHtvUzU
I love dogs and they love me. But this one—he was 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmTDDlTwww
of medium height, black, gray around the muzzle—540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDyAnXdD6MN
opened one eye, closed it, and turned his head away from me. On purpose. His tail did not slide. 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfCRpNZGDmZ
He had a collar and by the way was guarding 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpRw3sttIZ8
's bag, I thought he was waiting for his owner 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRirOdDqc9A
who was undoubtedly sitting in the air-conditioned condition of the restaurant! 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa0xEJ1uKqY
I stormed into Applebee's ready for battle. Immediately at 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ31IfJMJgfb
I noticed the owner. He sat alone at the counter, 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMlAbTLIuCD
a tall glass of iced tea in front of him. Long wavy blonde 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuf7K6sqO80
hair and beard. Skinny, how he can't always have enough 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUhKQjNimlo
to eat. He wore jeans that had seen better days, 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQNBVAyHGvD
, but they were clean, although his arms had the faintest of 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxm9yNnrkW6
paint stains. He seemed to sense my 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgJ9vT2r8KV
approach and turned the stool towards me.540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnE6ldG4GI8
"Is that your dog?" I insist. 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvvXHMBBNij
"Yes, ma'am, he is." 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBwTtAzyapi
"He's out in the sun and has no water. I think he's 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOoGexoOj0B
hungry too." I must have raised my voice because about 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPQIJdeWvaG
people looked at me. "Dogs like me, but he wouldn't even open both eyes when I talked to him." 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡemQ65CN3NE
The man smiled slowly and lightly. He slipped off the 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMs8gSGoMXK
stool. "That's because he wasn't properly 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJUe3FdUqsA
introduced to you. Don't bother. I'll do the honors." 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLsVONT2q1i
Introducing? I followed him outside. 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYcVIvpJoMb
He crouched next to the dog, which was sitting up and 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzGuEANAGkX
turned his eyes to the owner. His tail came to life. 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeUl0aUPHAu
"Madam, I don't know your name." 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQXIvhH8wy3
"Marion". I leaned close to them. 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ANfaDBJ1o
"Marion, I'd like you to meet Cheeseburger. 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvqefeSCGVW
Cheeseburger, this lovely lady is Marion." The dog looked 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvsIzV1xusY
straight in my eyes and offered a paw. 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSWeRLPf73W
I took it. "Hey, cheeseburger," I said. 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNDgJ8a4WXK
He licked my hand and his tail went in high. 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjW1kQ2gC25
"And I'm Johnny," said the man. 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA6vJ7p5ACA
"Johnny, I'm afraid he's thirsty." 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbONx7CNpi0
"Oh, he's fine," she said. "This place was shady when 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKl2jsIsiBp
I left him here just a few minutes ago." Johnny picked up his 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl67u5JjMSn
handbag. "We've been together for nine years. Look, he has my cell number on his collar and he's vaccinated 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkMBp3ctujt
." Johnny moved his bag under the Japanese maple 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkHSI1EWRJE
and Cheeseburger sat 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡARqI7haayE
next to it in the shade.540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd2Yuen47s5
"How far do you live from here?" I asked. 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgUuDnRr4XA
"Not far," he said. "Back in the woods, on the other side of 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxbzAhQDJQk
. We have a good tent." 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0VHg5ZNjZF
"But couldn't you go to the shelter?" 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmCYSMXTjrb
"They don't take a cheeseburger and I don't go anywhere without one," he said. Every time he said 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy8k9jGuQ8W
,540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkWT4aSVmyd
cheeseburgers, the dog's tail happily wagged 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXa3H3WauG6
,540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTk4o4DtcPh
back and forth. 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtoeIVwnVsV
"Johnny, I can't leave without a cheeseburger food and water," I said. "It's 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7OYjv20nKk
, not you. It's just, well, I have this thing about dogs..." 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0nfLGw0Ua
"Fine, if it makes you happy," he said. "I'll go back 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt63f7CaLo7
now and finish my drink... It was nice 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiZIsm4BhnG
meeting you, Marion. 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJo0vzdPRlf
I locked up at Walgreen's and came back with a bowl, 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhyQZnjnfLA
a large bottle of cold water, a bag of dog food, and 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa6S4bwhWY7
bones. Then I went in and picked up Johnny at 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1cspE0RZoh
restaurant. "I thought you should come with me while I give 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTe3LxJLAPj
food and water for a cheeseburger," I told him. 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWzzFrQ9gfP
"Okeydoke," he said. The cheeseburger stood Johnny 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXI0UikazlH
and I approached. I put the food down and he took 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwsBiHMNFN4
bites of it - mostly out of politeness. He covered enough 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOljh2vfbaD
water. 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEuicQFg7yc
"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." 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡItTJ0H5kDP
"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. 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo9moboOuKk
Johnny didn't seem to care. “That's how it works,” he said gently 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqm105yLXo
. “Every morning Cheeseburger and I get out of our tent 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ZR6AQxGZl
and look at the sky. And I say: Lord, we belong to you. We trust you. Take care of us one more day. 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdLH1HF9s1u
Thank you. ” And then at night, when we fall asleep, 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrb5EClazHn
I look at the stars and say: “God, we still trust You.” 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcw0ue9oJAo
He smiled again—that slow, easy laugh. 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7OwPoxdQt
I smiled back. There was just something about his 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZmuvFzT5va
eyes that I liked. "Maybe I'll see you and the cheeseburger again sometime 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJMS96VM4y9
," I said. 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSN6ajKwAVj
“Okeydoke. Me and the cheeseburger come here or go to 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyfROUT7TdH
McDonalds most mornings. Then we walk down 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2JzdjYp2TX
to the post office. I am a painter by trade and I hope to find a job for 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxiywv2BzXQ
."540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsujEdzY4lt
There was a real calm about Johnny, even 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9CvFeKDxQl
despite my unkind accusations. 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFVKJdjOR92
I fished in my purse and found a twenty. 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAYX2Q8HYa7
"Can I have this?" I asked hesitantly, not knowing how 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4KCyBDl7Kh
was supposed to work. 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuIgVeR0iGx
He did not hand over the bill, but looked at me with a 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhHiYfuKot2
satisfied expression. "You don't have to. We're 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5U29aI0QqR
doing pretty well." 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡddAfmOfCPX
540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCyFSaw5u1
"I would. Very much." 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrDDwrwfuMY
"Then I thank you, Marion. God bless you." 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPQNzFp6fhM
I went back to my car and turned on the 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm6aj6MZoZM
air conditioner. At a red light I leaned forward and looked up at the 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Zgx6gyRrp
blue cloudless sky. "Lord, I belong to you. I trust you 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtmzOJ8Q5oE
. Take care of me today. Thank you." 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpui99eWtv6
The light changed. I stepped onto the highway 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡadzTFTsaZT
fresh, not so much from the cool air, but from 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGJNCWBuROY
. unmistakable peace, the same peace I saw in Johnny's eyes.540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSxnIm2eANa
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