~How a homeless man and his devoted partner assisted me in overcoming my~ ~spiritual depression~667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYdiSGUgR3Y
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. 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzTy7DKVzko
The scorching heat didn't help — August here in Georgia 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTd6xb1vNUX
can be downright unbearable. It was 100 degrees today and 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt9WOGE48y7
was pretty sticky. I turned the car's A/C on full blast 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ssp8ye9WB
and was ready to do my chores and head home. Then 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdjg2bjRBRy
I saw a dog. 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX1tpl3zwY3
He lay on an empty army green bag right next to the Applebee's restaurant and walked around. There is no shadow. 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiiqmoE3QhN
Asleep, or at least I hoped he was. He could have 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcgMhKEcp7H
died in this heat! I went in and found a parking space. 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwVTV6hg4gs
Then I hurried to the dog. I bowed. "Hey buddy. Are you 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡamBnvD7ymC
thirsty?" 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKTzoVqKfwq
I love dogs and they love me. But this one—he was 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBM8NiMsI70
of medium height, black, gray around the muzzle—667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt5q1QuBORg
opened one eye, closed it, and turned his head away from me. On purpose. His tail did not slide. 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkgjKS2SwAG
He had a collar and by the way was guarding 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwybWZ5ezmn
's bag, I thought he was waiting for his owner 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDAWKtpFN9a
who was undoubtedly sitting in the air-conditioned condition of the restaurant! 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjQysc2HFRU
I stormed into Applebee's ready for battle. Immediately at 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBqhvkJneks
I noticed the owner. He sat alone at the counter, 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyKAQm3hoSo
a tall glass of iced tea in front of him. Long wavy blonde 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsSiIDXpVsc
hair and beard. Skinny, how he can't always have enough 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtiBEhVHzq1
to eat. He wore jeans that had seen better days, 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJ5DaOAQJW
, but they were clean, although his arms had the faintest of 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNH4LtS4fmH
paint stains. He seemed to sense my 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrwgKJcLoy5
approach and turned the stool towards me.667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSoEiD9cIDU
"Is that your dog?" I insist. 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcFfeLfSgRt
"Yes, ma'am, he is." 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBFBi80VjMp
"He's out in the sun and has no water. I think he's 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyAmpzropLQ
hungry too." I must have raised my voice because about 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD9nSuCzsyj
people looked at me. "Dogs like me, but he wouldn't even open both eyes when I talked to him." 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJD5dP77ueC
The man smiled slowly and lightly. He slipped off the 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtshT7JwdYe
stool. "That's because he wasn't properly 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡACttduz9V7
introduced to you. Don't bother. I'll do the honors." 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqLNWMcrmJD
Introducing? I followed him outside. 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpfuAfuERvX
He crouched next to the dog, which was sitting up and 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ24LHeZ1u26
turned his eyes to the owner. His tail came to life. 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡccx2aChFaq
"Madam, I don't know your name." 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyTBEUDPSAU
"Marion". I leaned close to them. 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzk860L20vh
"Marion, I'd like you to meet Cheeseburger. 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡasdevcOjLK
Cheeseburger, this lovely lady is Marion." The dog looked 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP0yDvdCHO3
straight in my eyes and offered a paw. 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR3LoAFu9xi
I took it. "Hey, cheeseburger," I said. 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiwDL1n8GtL
He licked my hand and his tail went in high. 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnEa31CFD5H
"And I'm Johnny," said the man. 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPf6d5C0Y1Y
"Johnny, I'm afraid he's thirsty." 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2bAL5xuMeo
"Oh, he's fine," she said. "This place was shady when 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUSYJCFSDam
I left him here just a few minutes ago." Johnny picked up his 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOMANF57W5d
handbag. "We've been together for nine years. Look, he has my cell number on his collar and he's vaccinated 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡosKAeJmc2E
." Johnny moved his bag under the Japanese maple 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUhsckY1Uzu
and Cheeseburger sat 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfmEXvyGfoa
next to it in the shade.667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcWE41ZgPpz
"How far do you live from here?" I asked. 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmJvvmLfl9o
"Not far," he said. "Back in the woods, on the other side of 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ58gnM644mQ
. We have a good tent." 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYFNjUzuYxt
"But couldn't you go to the shelter?" 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVZQQ06BxI2
"They don't take a cheeseburger and I don't go anywhere without one," he said. Every time he said 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ63UucVVFPI
,667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYryh9TMYMI
cheeseburgers, the dog's tail happily wagged 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt8fh3EWaNF
,667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3HaCQ8YtDg
back and forth. 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Hi2EfO6ov
"Johnny, I can't leave without a cheeseburger food and water," I said. "It's 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvz4gogKZZ5
, not you. It's just, well, I have this thing about dogs..." 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs7uIzzSdyB
"Fine, if it makes you happy," he said. "I'll go back 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQmEe8p7aMV
now and finish my drink... It was nice 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKCe4c6byvJ
meeting you, Marion. 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRfJrzYdUwR
I locked up at Walgreen's and came back with a bowl, 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQXY7v0xks8
a large bottle of cold water, a bag of dog food, and 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡroi4NqYLsT
bones. Then I went in and picked up Johnny at 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl0CmcTKmdh
restaurant. "I thought you should come with me while I give 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaL0rx1VmlV
food and water for a cheeseburger," I told him. 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQdb77eFEdr
"Okeydoke," he said. The cheeseburger stood Johnny 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnRNpOdG3bi
and I approached. I put the food down and he took 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkyzO9oPLuI
bites of it - mostly out of politeness. He covered enough 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyNMxwfLQjX
water. 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSMHqfSyJ0g
"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." 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT4QUV0NGx9
"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. 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhpfLZVoguG
Johnny didn't seem to care. “That's how it works,” he said gently 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtETBEf9X6C
. “Every morning Cheeseburger and I get out of our tent 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zPHXlLWQA
and look at the sky. And I say: Lord, we belong to you. We trust you. Take care of us one more day. 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKcbyOXugay
Thank you. ” And then at night, when we fall asleep, 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLC1O1z8PTq
I look at the stars and say: “God, we still trust You.” 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf6R7iNVhwV
He smiled again—that slow, easy laugh. 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5EOw7JytxZ
I smiled back. There was just something about his 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzuvpPnHaBn
eyes that I liked. "Maybe I'll see you and the cheeseburger again sometime 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWgjMId9Sf
," I said. 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfcZD2obz4y
“Okeydoke. Me and the cheeseburger come here or go to 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdfbFy0wi6T
McDonalds most mornings. Then we walk down 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH6S7kBkb1F
to the post office. I am a painter by trade and I hope to find a job for 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡodAugWB3cN
."667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡya9UbgZLII
There was a real calm about Johnny, even 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlhgEYa2eyc
despite my unkind accusations. 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpV7zOlDmmM
I fished in my purse and found a twenty. 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXzbn456QLn
"Can I have this?" I asked hesitantly, not knowing how 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlc0dwqwplT
was supposed to work. 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW2Q9ZPVi7q
He did not hand over the bill, but looked at me with a 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsBs2ZcMm97
satisfied expression. "You don't have to. We're 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUbtESqXh7R
doing pretty well." 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡII7yAFabTB
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"I would. Very much." 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgE0F5zKPEq
"Then I thank you, Marion. God bless you." 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ4qbWawwq5
I went back to my car and turned on the 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpG9w5GForG
air conditioner. At a red light I leaned forward and looked up at the 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM7yTXAtzFT
blue cloudless sky. "Lord, I belong to you. I trust you 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1c1N5aBvBw
. Take care of me today. Thank you." 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Jztzxhxos
The light changed. I stepped onto the highway 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrU89DwGncM
fresh, not so much from the cool air, but from 667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGkSnPADDCP
. unmistakable peace, the same peace I saw in Johnny's eyes.667Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFNGW9Xttw6
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