~How a homeless man and his devoted partner assisted me in overcoming my~ ~spiritual depression~569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0TX7FIdMKM
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. 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5IKvhVASdS
The scorching heat didn't help — August here in Georgia 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2uglWKrcdl
can be downright unbearable. It was 100 degrees today and 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ766Il4njSb
was pretty sticky. I turned the car's A/C on full blast 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvgBQi1S9s3
and was ready to do my chores and head home. Then 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡckUsQZucud
I saw a dog. 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeb3PT7zJKW
He lay on an empty army green bag right next to the Applebee's restaurant and walked around. There is no shadow. 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡetixOTdnao
Asleep, or at least I hoped he was. He could have 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡerX2oovkbx
died in this heat! I went in and found a parking space. 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8MQYrwcAcr
Then I hurried to the dog. I bowed. "Hey buddy. Are you 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjvHskfJUPq
thirsty?" 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0RoTZLEMS3
I love dogs and they love me. But this one—he was 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPIZR6jHJUo
of medium height, black, gray around the muzzle—569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW9Z7VytFWP
opened one eye, closed it, and turned his head away from me. On purpose. His tail did not slide. 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNC5B9vmcnh
He had a collar and by the way was guarding 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2N4RR7Youf
's bag, I thought he was waiting for his owner 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK0ZEd0OAUI
who was undoubtedly sitting in the air-conditioned condition of the restaurant! 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUUdrSt2Nri
I stormed into Applebee's ready for battle. Immediately at 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk3RfbWeD5V
I noticed the owner. He sat alone at the counter, 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8lIduaNyP9
a tall glass of iced tea in front of him. Long wavy blonde 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5LitzVPA1m
hair and beard. Skinny, how he can't always have enough 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwvrrCadqX6
to eat. He wore jeans that had seen better days, 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjLT7La2fxe
, but they were clean, although his arms had the faintest of 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9MqngCIEsT
paint stains. He seemed to sense my 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ34QrrvuGHa
approach and turned the stool towards me.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnZ9jSEEN4C
"Is that your dog?" I insist. 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLeU8TVUwp5
"Yes, ma'am, he is." 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7e8KiLIaap
"He's out in the sun and has no water. I think he's 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRZXPjujZej
hungry too." I must have raised my voice because about 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk2PO2Uf40q
people looked at me. "Dogs like me, but he wouldn't even open both eyes when I talked to him." 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCzRgcsSFX
The man smiled slowly and lightly. He slipped off the 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHDFyMw4JXz
stool. "That's because he wasn't properly 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgmA3IGq7cP
introduced to you. Don't bother. I'll do the honors." 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRxcUmJd2pe
Introducing? I followed him outside. 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkzxmxAE3jP
He crouched next to the dog, which was sitting up and 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡodxax7lQUX
turned his eyes to the owner. His tail came to life. 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA93P2UslmV
"Madam, I don't know your name." 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJYM0DUnRvq
"Marion". I leaned close to them. 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9xNDvNPoN9
"Marion, I'd like you to meet Cheeseburger. 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA5CurVo42r
Cheeseburger, this lovely lady is Marion." The dog looked 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuHx0QqRfkN
straight in my eyes and offered a paw. 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6UGFmVAKd5
I took it. "Hey, cheeseburger," I said. 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFFThJlXl58
He licked my hand and his tail went in high. 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4BZnUxKZwG
"And I'm Johnny," said the man. 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkdVadKdAaE
"Johnny, I'm afraid he's thirsty." 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdpx7DvpggK
"Oh, he's fine," she said. "This place was shady when 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhAleM4AovW
I left him here just a few minutes ago." Johnny picked up his 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWuqcXsLxvm
handbag. "We've been together for nine years. Look, he has my cell number on his collar and he's vaccinated 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMHeBPzQUfN
." Johnny moved his bag under the Japanese maple 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPe2mVYHP9s
and Cheeseburger sat 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCRrOVXRFLb
next to it in the shade.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpSdNRyoknM
"How far do you live from here?" I asked. 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsiQVIMz9Su
"Not far," he said. "Back in the woods, on the other side of 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJFFL5wvQhx
. We have a good tent." 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7KQnt4s64N
"But couldn't you go to the shelter?" 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkCMWJz4XcW
"They don't take a cheeseburger and I don't go anywhere without one," he said. Every time he said 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjYfs4Sy2kG
,569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdnRPMuHhf
cheeseburgers, the dog's tail happily wagged 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw1zWY5am7H
,569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFiBrdRfYU6
back and forth. 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzXKuLGQyjE
"Johnny, I can't leave without a cheeseburger food and water," I said. "It's 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡptcYdfUZxy
, not you. It's just, well, I have this thing about dogs..." 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJUZO9KG7q3
"Fine, if it makes you happy," he said. "I'll go back 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHPvcLBG25e
now and finish my drink... It was nice 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhjlHkuGmQp
meeting you, Marion. 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡykRvMFel5R
I locked up at Walgreen's and came back with a bowl, 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2EaW4ZYOAn
a large bottle of cold water, a bag of dog food, and 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFjUVugbJCP
bones. Then I went in and picked up Johnny at 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLgNaiwXVhb
restaurant. "I thought you should come with me while I give 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4clw2kYgFe
food and water for a cheeseburger," I told him. 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfeQcw1H3BU
"Okeydoke," he said. The cheeseburger stood Johnny 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtSeSvbo5LD
and I approached. I put the food down and he took 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMIdiFUfWif
bites of it - mostly out of politeness. He covered enough 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCGPRks7GPk
water. 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbWOV6PITKi
"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." 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtiCyF9yxnJ
"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. 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV5XBtF8RyF
Johnny didn't seem to care. “That's how it works,” he said gently 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡavUihCd3JU
. “Every morning Cheeseburger and I get out of our tent 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5sb4vQLNAp
and look at the sky. And I say: Lord, we belong to you. We trust you. Take care of us one more day. 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeTTRwaQDMO
Thank you. ” And then at night, when we fall asleep, 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGFCJU2dOsg
I look at the stars and say: “God, we still trust You.” 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWGTK8LV9OV
He smiled again—that slow, easy laugh. 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNG4SfFDSgn
I smiled back. There was just something about his 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuSzHtDsdCa
eyes that I liked. "Maybe I'll see you and the cheeseburger again sometime 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuOZCwsmZNc
," I said. 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDgDAdJJszQ
“Okeydoke. Me and the cheeseburger come here or go to 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfvDhcM630S
McDonalds most mornings. Then we walk down 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFkwp4NJYRc
to the post office. I am a painter by trade and I hope to find a job for 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiqb5PczJdJ
."569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhxEK24YxPf
There was a real calm about Johnny, even 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbX2902S73x
despite my unkind accusations. 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyt2uCCxR89
I fished in my purse and found a twenty. 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXAuO5t6gIV
"Can I have this?" I asked hesitantly, not knowing how 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3BW7Js2D0u
was supposed to work. 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGDXxxvj1fE
He did not hand over the bill, but looked at me with a 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ13cTqc01QX
satisfied expression. "You don't have to. We're 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHpEeKGD1ob
doing pretty well." 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp9CDwfaFCP
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"I would. Very much." 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV0Kvn5U6nF
"Then I thank you, Marion. God bless you." 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ25S8ucv9j9
I went back to my car and turned on the 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR3DFlcFewl
air conditioner. At a red light I leaned forward and looked up at the 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJzUnKcVGRc
blue cloudless sky. "Lord, I belong to you. I trust you 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd9kpRa0XMZ
. Take care of me today. Thank you." 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAXjSuL72vm
The light changed. I stepped onto the highway 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz0UgE3I39u
fresh, not so much from the cool air, but from 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvJnYK5aGJa
. unmistakable peace, the same peace I saw in Johnny's eyes.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8id3WtLqaH
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