~How a homeless man and his devoted partner assisted me in overcoming my~ ~spiritual depression~634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJOJWVEa5Td
By: Marion Bond West
634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuJ5fZYE08U
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. 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡagTzlLQUp6
The scorching heat didn't help — August here in Georgia 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJbxxK5KU9q
can be downright unbearable. It was 100 degrees today and 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsbveTs8JXb
was pretty sticky. I turned the car's A/C on full blast 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZEYyHscwxS
and was ready to do my chores and head home. Then 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4G3SibVod8
I saw a dog. 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOTIfRasdz0
He lay on an empty army green bag right next to the Applebee's restaurant and walked around. There is no shadow. 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlz8NUyKe7K
Asleep, or at least I hoped he was. He could have 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfYnVBkASm3
died in this heat! I went in and found a parking space. 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK6Yl6iowbA
Then I hurried to the dog. I bowed. "Hey buddy. Are you 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUvXXzFHu9K
thirsty?" 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE3rHzaFApu
I love dogs and they love me. But this one—he was 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwkLf9dBy3T
of medium height, black, gray around the muzzle—634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5TwEf9695L
opened one eye, closed it, and turned his head away from me. On purpose. His tail did not slide. 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdsudKAhlLJ
He had a collar and by the way was guarding 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoFKnVSzkoT
's bag, I thought he was waiting for his owner 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO3FaqXogLY
who was undoubtedly sitting in the air-conditioned condition of the restaurant! 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDDuIF2viy0
I stormed into Applebee's ready for battle. Immediately at 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5e0JL2Rlha
I noticed the owner. He sat alone at the counter, 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOPRkyrDSBP
a tall glass of iced tea in front of him. Long wavy blonde 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjNEsctcqGT
hair and beard. Skinny, how he can't always have enough 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9GTaCTmlYP
to eat. He wore jeans that had seen better days, 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTliL3uRBxT
, but they were clean, although his arms had the faintest of 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHfqctwzOyC
paint stains. He seemed to sense my 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9xvxvBmdmI
approach and turned the stool towards me.634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQUNs7DBFPI
"Is that your dog?" I insist. 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1JHRktD5Ge
"Yes, ma'am, he is." 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU3Qgzu2Z29
"He's out in the sun and has no water. I think he's 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwPdtWXZv9J
hungry too." I must have raised my voice because about 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9hgAa90gXU
people looked at me. "Dogs like me, but he wouldn't even open both eyes when I talked to him." 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzyZxkaCUCU
The man smiled slowly and lightly. He slipped off the 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3QK4sOJZby
stool. "That's because he wasn't properly 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ20axIejs76
introduced to you. Don't bother. I'll do the honors." 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk4B2Dovfvm
Introducing? I followed him outside. 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIldPBsCEh0
He crouched next to the dog, which was sitting up and 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWS6tkLYr8
turned his eyes to the owner. His tail came to life. 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOiG8nOboDS
"Madam, I don't know your name." 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNzvV2cfggN
"Marion". I leaned close to them. 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK85YgJQoVz
"Marion, I'd like you to meet Cheeseburger. 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKlLLh1xrGJ
Cheeseburger, this lovely lady is Marion." The dog looked 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFqFHfNu11r
straight in my eyes and offered a paw. 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMWET9qGYVX
I took it. "Hey, cheeseburger," I said. 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Dz39S8YMX
He licked my hand and his tail went in high. 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZI6LfglNyO
"And I'm Johnny," said the man. 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXxjQa6NZpJ
"Johnny, I'm afraid he's thirsty." 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡliW04bVKKV
"Oh, he's fine," she said. "This place was shady when 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlRaIWPF8E0
I left him here just a few minutes ago." Johnny picked up his 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQN9Sd4YPl
handbag. "We've been together for nine years. Look, he has my cell number on his collar and he's vaccinated 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyatFoQehgi
." Johnny moved his bag under the Japanese maple 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsldtgqKtxN
and Cheeseburger sat 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSc3IvgpqJ6
next to it in the shade.634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4dJ8Ziwlsp
"How far do you live from here?" I asked. 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeoll3mAOM8
"Not far," he said. "Back in the woods, on the other side of 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9V1kTRycA7
. We have a good tent." 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwA9FN89rQo
"But couldn't you go to the shelter?" 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ23ozCICDDf
"They don't take a cheeseburger and I don't go anywhere without one," he said. Every time he said 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCyyaP6rwVR
,634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKDRYSxnVIP
cheeseburgers, the dog's tail happily wagged 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeyuw9rJiM9
,634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ78LuHHBwRF
back and forth. 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6caCQM2D30
"Johnny, I can't leave without a cheeseburger food and water," I said. "It's 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8b5dTgn86c
, not you. It's just, well, I have this thing about dogs..." 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsyec0JGQof
"Fine, if it makes you happy," he said. "I'll go back 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNgKZuq7KsD
now and finish my drink... It was nice 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkRkBtfFFfF
meeting you, Marion. 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ZCQowG1eM
I locked up at Walgreen's and came back with a bowl, 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoZ3bBDLyMb
a large bottle of cold water, a bag of dog food, and 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4BZMHUbKgs
bones. Then I went in and picked up Johnny at 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSOFUezLFF3
restaurant. "I thought you should come with me while I give 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzzBfRJkm0s
food and water for a cheeseburger," I told him. 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeUBKnoaNo1
"Okeydoke," he said. The cheeseburger stood Johnny 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3BYms6pa5h
and I approached. I put the food down and he took 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf6mef4VJoH
bites of it - mostly out of politeness. He covered enough 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTYedOYhKYo
water. 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWYzpfX44Ql
"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." 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUH8s4OGsZB
"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. 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6kCuQXyEc4
Johnny didn't seem to care. “That's how it works,” he said gently 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCch8ylZa14
. “Every morning Cheeseburger and I get out of our tent 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhwC0hwguLN
and look at the sky. And I say: Lord, we belong to you. We trust you. Take care of us one more day. 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1tUgmckBoJ
Thank you. ” And then at night, when we fall asleep, 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGcmPY0HcJj
I look at the stars and say: “God, we still trust You.” 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs456wdpbWM
He smiled again—that slow, easy laugh. 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxlyWJ0G4HX
I smiled back. There was just something about his 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2w3z3c2Cbw
eyes that I liked. "Maybe I'll see you and the cheeseburger again sometime 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEu0iuiBGiu
," I said. 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUegoq4alZJ
“Okeydoke. Me and the cheeseburger come here or go to 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgmK527hvw3
McDonalds most mornings. Then we walk down 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYZXaC30tNH
to the post office. I am a painter by trade and I hope to find a job for 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH6wMI9TMae
."634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtqJRkJK6ML
There was a real calm about Johnny, even 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOQiSrpZyrI
despite my unkind accusations. 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGml2Wwb0oW
I fished in my purse and found a twenty. 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWo6RDeKq1t
"Can I have this?" I asked hesitantly, not knowing how 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEV2d6bVluW
was supposed to work. 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡalSOlYIikU
He did not hand over the bill, but looked at me with a 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuak363jVWY
satisfied expression. "You don't have to. We're 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe5RIzKQfC1
doing pretty well." 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2zrwmedXej
634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCVk5JMqOT
"I would. Very much." 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnF8Do3Qdkv
"Then I thank you, Marion. God bless you." 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhDl9CjoCUM
I went back to my car and turned on the 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFvgHOKCunr
air conditioner. At a red light I leaned forward and looked up at the 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLie9LgmJjE
blue cloudless sky. "Lord, I belong to you. I trust you 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ325S6L4pIv
. Take care of me today. Thank you." 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡejzAPKhPCZ
The light changed. I stepped onto the highway 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡilqJjITRPf
fresh, not so much from the cool air, but from 634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0mdFgZPoXr
. unmistakable peace, the same peace I saw in Johnny's eyes.634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ06MBnzpaSF
634Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDUXZjTW7fe
