~How a homeless man and his devoted partner assisted me in overcoming my~ ~spiritual depression~546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPyoswOtGxM
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. 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMuarJ6xdN4
The scorching heat didn't help — August here in Georgia 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqFSRM4u6I8
can be downright unbearable. It was 100 degrees today and 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ47lXtaN5ug
was pretty sticky. I turned the car's A/C on full blast 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI1IWbkZSTO
and was ready to do my chores and head home. Then 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk9gzxFugrx
I saw a dog. 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHC562N0GRs
He lay on an empty army green bag right next to the Applebee's restaurant and walked around. There is no shadow. 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGptLBljjq
Asleep, or at least I hoped he was. He could have 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwd5acw3G3C
died in this heat! I went in and found a parking space. 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡli17DoIvIy
Then I hurried to the dog. I bowed. "Hey buddy. Are you 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS4IaCWIbsi
thirsty?" 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQvotB5OxI
I love dogs and they love me. But this one—he was 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw0Hruvf1pI
of medium height, black, gray around the muzzle—546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMpUP9QF3Nx
opened one eye, closed it, and turned his head away from me. On purpose. His tail did not slide. 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ38hOz9dPAe
He had a collar and by the way was guarding 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUESz7IYvKQ
's bag, I thought he was waiting for his owner 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKYjspuMYbP
who was undoubtedly sitting in the air-conditioned condition of the restaurant! 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhhSHPoxyns
I stormed into Applebee's ready for battle. Immediately at 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjQoH71GL6W
I noticed the owner. He sat alone at the counter, 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI23lq9Xv6c
a tall glass of iced tea in front of him. Long wavy blonde 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡERvG9EqjvF
hair and beard. Skinny, how he can't always have enough 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCkV6XbdQFj
to eat. He wore jeans that had seen better days, 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ82mcs6gOwK
, but they were clean, although his arms had the faintest of 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxkMdCOAGfo
paint stains. He seemed to sense my 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhjkT1c6Qsm
approach and turned the stool towards me.546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkxeFaSNaSL
"Is that your dog?" I insist. 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8xyN0bpGi5
"Yes, ma'am, he is." 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJT0nvydyJz
"He's out in the sun and has no water. I think he's 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpu7tV9wvrL
hungry too." I must have raised my voice because about 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqe5LHZEX7N
people looked at me. "Dogs like me, but he wouldn't even open both eyes when I talked to him." 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDSm04pDoXY
The man smiled slowly and lightly. He slipped off the 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvJgUQmCul2
stool. "That's because he wasn't properly 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMab7W6dzBa
introduced to you. Don't bother. I'll do the honors." 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaeiOua3IMN
Introducing? I followed him outside. 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj9unsHUo9v
He crouched next to the dog, which was sitting up and 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDxTTQGyD3s
turned his eyes to the owner. His tail came to life. 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjOBYuwM7ab
"Madam, I don't know your name." 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkridsEOiTP
"Marion". I leaned close to them. 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr76zVLlodP
"Marion, I'd like you to meet Cheeseburger. 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqbKxgNcQUM
Cheeseburger, this lovely lady is Marion." The dog looked 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3BMD3Bvg1T
straight in my eyes and offered a paw. 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBRImwu8pa
I took it. "Hey, cheeseburger," I said. 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEWHDH4YjDG
He licked my hand and his tail went in high. 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhiWZBxcwUx
"And I'm Johnny," said the man. 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCr6DZuMFp8
"Johnny, I'm afraid he's thirsty." 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡADa4Eiv4Sp
"Oh, he's fine," she said. "This place was shady when 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdDtENw6Bsd
I left him here just a few minutes ago." Johnny picked up his 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN4NbATaUSD
handbag. "We've been together for nine years. Look, he has my cell number on his collar and he's vaccinated 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpaZL4v7y51
." Johnny moved his bag under the Japanese maple 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhl7FH0Bv1X
and Cheeseburger sat 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyCVfZmdweL
next to it in the shade.546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8VOLTg4kNc
"How far do you live from here?" I asked. 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxOkKwQbsoi
"Not far," he said. "Back in the woods, on the other side of 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrfy9kEDHpO
. We have a good tent." 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡolxovXSg5n
"But couldn't you go to the shelter?" 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeZdTKpklux
"They don't take a cheeseburger and I don't go anywhere without one," he said. Every time he said 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbduPTr1U8L
,546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS8vcWgy4y7
cheeseburgers, the dog's tail happily wagged 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJMAX7fNET1
,546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPUVmx8SaxP
back and forth. 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3CYBj05Wu8
"Johnny, I can't leave without a cheeseburger food and water," I said. "It's 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8IJcCq5G4U
, not you. It's just, well, I have this thing about dogs..." 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJw6XzjgOnp
"Fine, if it makes you happy," he said. "I'll go back 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfMeeRZPO6H
now and finish my drink... It was nice 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkjIWlDvVdB
meeting you, Marion. 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLxcqGPwITm
I locked up at Walgreen's and came back with a bowl, 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEVaIx9s8T3
a large bottle of cold water, a bag of dog food, and 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQkEcUwNKKV
bones. Then I went in and picked up Johnny at 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvzLkjGRlVy
restaurant. "I thought you should come with me while I give 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ8ZTcXtffn
food and water for a cheeseburger," I told him. 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwlJyfYyhc6
"Okeydoke," he said. The cheeseburger stood Johnny 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡabulYAmGJa
and I approached. I put the food down and he took 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOnS6Izy1M8
bites of it - mostly out of politeness. He covered enough 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtlEjKQ5UiX
water. 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa0FFvBxbB7
"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." 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡarva5cvkNO
"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. 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5jnNf633FR
Johnny didn't seem to care. “That's how it works,” he said gently 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ05zOo14YqR
. “Every morning Cheeseburger and I get out of our tent 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUiEvYfMyjW
and look at the sky. And I say: Lord, we belong to you. We trust you. Take care of us one more day. 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFTz459HhiY
Thank you. ” And then at night, when we fall asleep, 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡthrXrmaLPy
I look at the stars and say: “God, we still trust You.” 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM7oiEfAgYU
He smiled again—that slow, easy laugh. 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo4WknfAuMo
I smiled back. There was just something about his 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWP3Ucd9tsz
eyes that I liked. "Maybe I'll see you and the cheeseburger again sometime 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ0so8jWEdy
," I said. 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgTaGXnY0op
“Okeydoke. Me and the cheeseburger come here or go to 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡawpyRnPe2L
McDonalds most mornings. Then we walk down 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa2laoaKHWa
to the post office. I am a painter by trade and I hope to find a job for 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPK8IpbyGHH
."546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4oGL9PtsU
There was a real calm about Johnny, even 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE78ZPX9gkw
despite my unkind accusations. 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJgJshEboOC
I fished in my purse and found a twenty. 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPoVY3eCNWo
"Can I have this?" I asked hesitantly, not knowing how 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm3r2cKVJLR
was supposed to work. 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ28E7HS2HmJ
He did not hand over the bill, but looked at me with a 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXn70kGGW31
satisfied expression. "You don't have to. We're 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfTImMR5cGX
doing pretty well." 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkjai4zT0BZ
546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSDHD9GXW6T
"I would. Very much." 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6PEVhSTHec
"Then I thank you, Marion. God bless you." 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Mj9HHMRyp
I went back to my car and turned on the 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHn3P9awPNM
air conditioner. At a red light I leaned forward and looked up at the 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJs9ykDXdsx
blue cloudless sky. "Lord, I belong to you. I trust you 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXglw0HouMF
. Take care of me today. Thank you." 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCx5xkHXvA8
The light changed. I stepped onto the highway 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9NHMoXd0Vn
fresh, not so much from the cool air, but from 546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpgMBIA1CuY
. unmistakable peace, the same peace I saw in Johnny's eyes.546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYDQcpjQ4Dy
546Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBdgEdmSHWD
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