~How a homeless man and his devoted partner assisted me in overcoming my~ ~spiritual depression~822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHAkG0qxCP7
By: Marion Bond West
822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfPR2DP3FgN
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. 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrge3QnmE3v
The scorching heat didn't help — August here in Georgia 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl89efybin4
can be downright unbearable. It was 100 degrees today and 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPYyFDcEmbt
was pretty sticky. I turned the car's A/C on full blast 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuWNufxgdoj
and was ready to do my chores and head home. Then 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQqAaPWNwBd
I saw a dog. 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1kAtmxOfel
He lay on an empty army green bag right next to the Applebee's restaurant and walked around. There is no shadow. 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCbn4GMClUx
Asleep, or at least I hoped he was. He could have 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp8pX8cd0mD
died in this heat! I went in and found a parking space. 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl9fzLGqbqX
Then I hurried to the dog. I bowed. "Hey buddy. Are you 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ800enmVfD6
thirsty?" 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4VhU6cT2J
I love dogs and they love me. But this one—he was 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9XtKdyJzhf
of medium height, black, gray around the muzzle—822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbD41aEL9U0
opened one eye, closed it, and turned his head away from me. On purpose. His tail did not slide. 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDMNfkeMtsb
He had a collar and by the way was guarding 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMtxUdNG1Vp
's bag, I thought he was waiting for his owner 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOjcLna28mx
who was undoubtedly sitting in the air-conditioned condition of the restaurant! 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1XPpj0TZ1B
I stormed into Applebee's ready for battle. Immediately at 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7vEDEAOxQO
I noticed the owner. He sat alone at the counter, 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnkrQuKrT4X
a tall glass of iced tea in front of him. Long wavy blonde 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVo19AtftKR
hair and beard. Skinny, how he can't always have enough 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHx39DRnIiW
to eat. He wore jeans that had seen better days, 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm3ZTFXUcLk
, but they were clean, although his arms had the faintest of 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1voEGBZU5J
paint stains. He seemed to sense my 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUA21Hy3ax8
approach and turned the stool towards me.822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuwIcTCnuAM
"Is that your dog?" I insist. 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxLulAmeCFA
"Yes, ma'am, he is." 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIEJnkPWxrP
"He's out in the sun and has no water. I think he's 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt7zh29en14
hungry too." I must have raised my voice because about 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQDBWTBC2bU
people looked at me. "Dogs like me, but he wouldn't even open both eyes when I talked to him." 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49C1LjBjuQ
The man smiled slowly and lightly. He slipped off the 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡubyi2dXv5i
stool. "That's because he wasn't properly 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlAZx7mNFrm
introduced to you. Don't bother. I'll do the honors." 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJbxfkBCKsR
Introducing? I followed him outside. 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfnRFU3O30E
He crouched next to the dog, which was sitting up and 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDm4PBFHb8n
turned his eyes to the owner. His tail came to life. 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS3UcykOg3x
"Madam, I don't know your name." 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFk99jjdis4
"Marion". I leaned close to them. 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Z7ltumhdo
"Marion, I'd like you to meet Cheeseburger. 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHK2nd5d2f9
Cheeseburger, this lovely lady is Marion." The dog looked 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRNqF8cffVy
straight in my eyes and offered a paw. 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcnkth5qAYH
I took it. "Hey, cheeseburger," I said. 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWkgcilSgRG
He licked my hand and his tail went in high. 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtsSYFlUWCB
"And I'm Johnny," said the man. 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd3lGBatkB3
"Johnny, I'm afraid he's thirsty." 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNLgQzuAWtH
"Oh, he's fine," she said. "This place was shady when 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsYjxcnMV3H
I left him here just a few minutes ago." Johnny picked up his 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrS52b37pdS
handbag. "We've been together for nine years. Look, he has my cell number on his collar and he's vaccinated 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8smj1J2EGI
." Johnny moved his bag under the Japanese maple 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS6LQRQ99pV
and Cheeseburger sat 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnInPL8CCla
next to it in the shade.822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCKwLrx7RPI
"How far do you live from here?" I asked. 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjQuPxzjTp8
"Not far," he said. "Back in the woods, on the other side of 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRJhMa3wEHf
. We have a good tent." 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlR7LKPsbiH
"But couldn't you go to the shelter?" 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6afXCfBxIC
"They don't take a cheeseburger and I don't go anywhere without one," he said. Every time he said 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡosechA5K9s
,822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT8ys8RNPi4
cheeseburgers, the dog's tail happily wagged 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAks17Q7opX
,822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcdNEijNaoK
back and forth. 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡok0my7Zyr1
"Johnny, I can't leave without a cheeseburger food and water," I said. "It's 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf3h4wlq9Ui
, not you. It's just, well, I have this thing about dogs..." 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyRsV7m6RZB
"Fine, if it makes you happy," he said. "I'll go back 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkvUOBxfBtv
now and finish my drink... It was nice 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs8DqqCJXlv
meeting you, Marion. 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ38W0nm3VbT
I locked up at Walgreen's and came back with a bowl, 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpaI0NodFET
a large bottle of cold water, a bag of dog food, and 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtHfIpXSAJ3
bones. Then I went in and picked up Johnny at 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPY3Ix4Tu97
restaurant. "I thought you should come with me while I give 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh9hwx6rw54
food and water for a cheeseburger," I told him. 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV3O0TtFpdP
"Okeydoke," he said. The cheeseburger stood Johnny 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsiOARfFCqt
and I approached. I put the food down and he took 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl9liNEC3d4
bites of it - mostly out of politeness. He covered enough 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq7Zw3oOnqi
water. 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLGWLEqSxi7
"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." 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs2Ty5l6sKn
"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. 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ3nwv1Hpfg
Johnny didn't seem to care. “That's how it works,” he said gently 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ6DoPNolIZ
. “Every morning Cheeseburger and I get out of our tent 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIXVnDhtTi
and look at the sky. And I say: Lord, we belong to you. We trust you. Take care of us one more day. 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhlTHOolv2p
Thank you. ” And then at night, when we fall asleep, 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGNbZQQc2OX
I look at the stars and say: “God, we still trust You.” 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAeRCMtO475
He smiled again—that slow, easy laugh. 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk2rVFeUSEe
I smiled back. There was just something about his 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIR85kJxE4j
eyes that I liked. "Maybe I'll see you and the cheeseburger again sometime 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgf5iF8lARQ
," I said. 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXnpDURNI5A
“Okeydoke. Me and the cheeseburger come here or go to 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKxwXBdlQy9
McDonalds most mornings. Then we walk down 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMVdsuAHfGO
to the post office. I am a painter by trade and I hope to find a job for 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9u0vMTlX0W
."822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBvnqyS5hHn
There was a real calm about Johnny, even 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIzn632Vuq1
despite my unkind accusations. 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3wtmeoOv0J
I fished in my purse and found a twenty. 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpseLu7Ysea
"Can I have this?" I asked hesitantly, not knowing how 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFTJisyalKe
was supposed to work. 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNlJHgn16sN
He did not hand over the bill, but looked at me with a 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0Knsq3PQC
satisfied expression. "You don't have to. We're 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡes7x6hkFEu
doing pretty well." 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJk8NQ9LhSe
822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK2OiadwDQW
"I would. Very much." 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk29JKbpd6J
"Then I thank you, Marion. God bless you." 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEblJ7doMI7
I went back to my car and turned on the 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJSq86a0FUi
air conditioner. At a red light I leaned forward and looked up at the 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88mIar01WV
blue cloudless sky. "Lord, I belong to you. I trust you 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXiMN3VavHz
. Take care of me today. Thank you." 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCrjLj9G7AG
The light changed. I stepped onto the highway 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ13dQfDLJy
fresh, not so much from the cool air, but from 822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpB6WhgiAMe
. unmistakable peace, the same peace I saw in Johnny's eyes.822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuuIsFn5xSd
822Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVZFMiEONms
and then Add to home screen.