~How a homeless man and his devoted partner assisted me in overcoming my~ ~spiritual depression~571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXNiE0er0I2
By: Marion Bond West
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY3YhdOrzHB
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. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmuEWG0mp5f
The scorching heat didn't help — August here in Georgia 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlPPqHaFxsM
can be downright unbearable. It was 100 degrees today and 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKK8m4oXTHf
was pretty sticky. I turned the car's A/C on full blast 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMDwAUvJpXO
and was ready to do my chores and head home. Then 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzDRwZJckM
I saw a dog. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAY7Vw4MJ6o
He lay on an empty army green bag right next to the Applebee's restaurant and walked around. There is no shadow. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ71mwROx5Lv
Asleep, or at least I hoped he was. He could have 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjEKh0ED0Bk
died in this heat! I went in and found a parking space. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYYb25jtVFY
Then I hurried to the dog. I bowed. "Hey buddy. Are you 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ28l9smX5wk
thirsty?" 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzfNggWAdUo
I love dogs and they love me. But this one—he was 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAEqKToyOtI
of medium height, black, gray around the muzzle—571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu4k3rlTjjs
opened one eye, closed it, and turned his head away from me. On purpose. His tail did not slide. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZz67bRlydU
He had a collar and by the way was guarding 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOzcI5Ep1DC
's bag, I thought he was waiting for his owner 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡURxGpxvw9C
who was undoubtedly sitting in the air-conditioned condition of the restaurant! 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfJwvGit1Tm
I stormed into Applebee's ready for battle. Immediately at 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMkFA5g0tz4
I noticed the owner. He sat alone at the counter, 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSJaCAgNByV
a tall glass of iced tea in front of him. Long wavy blonde 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ66PCzaRodT
hair and beard. Skinny, how he can't always have enough 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVaKaY7V188
to eat. He wore jeans that had seen better days, 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYpxqcgGxDs
, but they were clean, although his arms had the faintest of 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmcS9GkSSxZ
paint stains. He seemed to sense my 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWDE1jIEoQ2
approach and turned the stool towards me.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIdJFcY5p6W
"Is that your dog?" I insist. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlci7k2IxbG
"Yes, ma'am, he is." 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡstNhxUszFF
"He's out in the sun and has no water. I think he's 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkaXpShPzHB
hungry too." I must have raised my voice because about 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxQ6fceUkJx
people looked at me. "Dogs like me, but he wouldn't even open both eyes when I talked to him." 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvy17amKNHv
The man smiled slowly and lightly. He slipped off the 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2qQNM6SrbC
stool. "That's because he wasn't properly 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXax7Xy7i1B
introduced to you. Don't bother. I'll do the honors." 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEYUDXbZsOt
Introducing? I followed him outside. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1pZvQ3MsPH
He crouched next to the dog, which was sitting up and 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj7QzI9n6Eh
turned his eyes to the owner. His tail came to life. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo8h435Pe0n
"Madam, I don't know your name." 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSxC4gDBQmq
"Marion". I leaned close to them. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnhpBWBNYld
"Marion, I'd like you to meet Cheeseburger. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHsdkO16e40
Cheeseburger, this lovely lady is Marion." The dog looked 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSL5XXCQIhx
straight in my eyes and offered a paw. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHAaZt7K5ZZ
I took it. "Hey, cheeseburger," I said. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcq09gPBujM
He licked my hand and his tail went in high. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBjafLOKkmp
"And I'm Johnny," said the man. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY9pr68m8H5
"Johnny, I'm afraid he's thirsty." 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCpbtokAH30
"Oh, he's fine," she said. "This place was shady when 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW3GthNsAqj
I left him here just a few minutes ago." Johnny picked up his 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN0FI2wA432
handbag. "We've been together for nine years. Look, he has my cell number on his collar and he's vaccinated 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUrqjlkTw9t
." Johnny moved his bag under the Japanese maple 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkqK6IRSQcl
and Cheeseburger sat 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfGyQH1BQwZ
next to it in the shade.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0vbN0vFni7
"How far do you live from here?" I asked. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0av7M1qlz0
"Not far," he said. "Back in the woods, on the other side of 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXpddbefYRL
. We have a good tent." 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBSwtJZ15AA
"But couldn't you go to the shelter?" 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAI6UiGGUz2
"They don't take a cheeseburger and I don't go anywhere without one," he said. Every time he said 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡci7mQfulc8
,571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSr0WFa4WH5
cheeseburgers, the dog's tail happily wagged 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡswF1t6oQaq
,571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJTwr9AjC1N
back and forth. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuLcaN60aX1
"Johnny, I can't leave without a cheeseburger food and water," I said. "It's 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPD63po61ZD
, not you. It's just, well, I have this thing about dogs..." 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA3QDIKgtPg
"Fine, if it makes you happy," he said. "I'll go back 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCMJwvlLVt2
now and finish my drink... It was nice 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPmY3N0qR3p
meeting you, Marion. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYjZYPBXHJy
I locked up at Walgreen's and came back with a bowl, 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqVcGVclnaq
a large bottle of cold water, a bag of dog food, and 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAxq7jE4tWc
bones. Then I went in and picked up Johnny at 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYEmVCEBeos
restaurant. "I thought you should come with me while I give 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2BHXWP5KDw
food and water for a cheeseburger," I told him. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP2Ne38VWK6
"Okeydoke," he said. The cheeseburger stood Johnny 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLuMr8XZuFA
and I approached. I put the food down and he took 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs8MukYqHIH
bites of it - mostly out of politeness. He covered enough 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqskTpVsCMr
water. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeLt5FpREA6
"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." 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2gmFQoDNIp
"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. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHWNvyp4a7M
Johnny didn't seem to care. “That's how it works,” he said gently 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJzZKudrmM9
. “Every morning Cheeseburger and I get out of our tent 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhTW8V5bhoe
and look at the sky. And I say: Lord, we belong to you. We trust you. Take care of us one more day. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVEsE7VsPqf
Thank you. ” And then at night, when we fall asleep, 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7aDGn6dUpi
I look at the stars and say: “God, we still trust You.” 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUORPr1PPQg
He smiled again—that slow, easy laugh. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt6BRDGuWuU
I smiled back. There was just something about his 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr7Wcfo0UMl
eyes that I liked. "Maybe I'll see you and the cheeseburger again sometime 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdx3V6HiiDa
," I said. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpdaIha4W82
“Okeydoke. Me and the cheeseburger come here or go to 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeJBlXAML3Q
McDonalds most mornings. Then we walk down 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYKclSEne3l
to the post office. I am a painter by trade and I hope to find a job for 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnLfksDSPDc
."571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtcLI03h17d
There was a real calm about Johnny, even 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZqHIwx8knk
despite my unkind accusations. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGj4cw3dhUm
I fished in my purse and found a twenty. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE7dEa191Su
"Can I have this?" I asked hesitantly, not knowing how 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlrf0ZKSHMJ
was supposed to work. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2fPcg0M4Dy
He did not hand over the bill, but looked at me with a 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNePlNRcmYi
satisfied expression. "You don't have to. We're 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrLHVEvDhU9
doing pretty well." 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6CQQsdrU1O
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0cS61BqzP
"I would. Very much." 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4bLwl8MYU8
"Then I thank you, Marion. God bless you." 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUroJ5etP4u
I went back to my car and turned on the 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpBjCg4G4XK
air conditioner. At a red light I leaned forward and looked up at the 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9oi0Z0nBXz
blue cloudless sky. "Lord, I belong to you. I trust you 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJ9rT4c5JW
. Take care of me today. Thank you." 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbeOqcp2nBb
The light changed. I stepped onto the highway 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoTxu4fi5MK
fresh, not so much from the cool air, but from 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZ5MRf4ET2
. unmistakable peace, the same peace I saw in Johnny's eyes.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2nkJXosybl
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