~How a homeless man and his devoted partner assisted me in overcoming my~ ~spiritual depression~574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpSWJpC9A8x
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. 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvETeNMgI9T
The scorching heat didn't help — August here in Georgia 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtsAVzGc9x0
can be downright unbearable. It was 100 degrees today and 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhFIoChM77t
was pretty sticky. I turned the car's A/C on full blast 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEI9MO5ARN1
and was ready to do my chores and head home. Then 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3kSiRV6TMQ
I saw a dog. 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZzJhztx7Mv
He lay on an empty army green bag right next to the Applebee's restaurant and walked around. There is no shadow. 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZW3pVuuhK2
Asleep, or at least I hoped he was. He could have 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc5N9kK4vqd
died in this heat! I went in and found a parking space. 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ71DKBj2Rjm
Then I hurried to the dog. I bowed. "Hey buddy. Are you 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4CG0tyL2wL
thirsty?" 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTcEX2cMgFd
I love dogs and they love me. But this one—he was 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtxow1HoZ7N
of medium height, black, gray around the muzzle—574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0cgTdQb7yo
opened one eye, closed it, and turned his head away from me. On purpose. His tail did not slide. 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡohAfMlQvYv
He had a collar and by the way was guarding 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaOLMRnl5CL
's bag, I thought he was waiting for his owner 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ09mzuPabv9
who was undoubtedly sitting in the air-conditioned condition of the restaurant! 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡozYzviRotG
I stormed into Applebee's ready for battle. Immediately at 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPVwZJJWcX
I noticed the owner. He sat alone at the counter, 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVu4ErrwMeM
a tall glass of iced tea in front of him. Long wavy blonde 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpA9qBtUEI1
hair and beard. Skinny, how he can't always have enough 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡadSKbhrxGq
to eat. He wore jeans that had seen better days, 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5MUqUh5Jb4
, but they were clean, although his arms had the faintest of 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW6USj4f3FU
paint stains. He seemed to sense my 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0ceZZ1cA7
approach and turned the stool towards me.574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLT4yjBvrT
"Is that your dog?" I insist. 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW6OVWHlwXS
"Yes, ma'am, he is." 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhgtwjd1im0
"He's out in the sun and has no water. I think he's 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEguDYFmDBJ
hungry too." I must have raised my voice because about 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2LWGaJcbfM
people looked at me. "Dogs like me, but he wouldn't even open both eyes when I talked to him." 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVswRKzJv7W
The man smiled slowly and lightly. He slipped off the 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJQVo35AgUE
stool. "That's because he wasn't properly 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWwMivtaQPD
introduced to you. Don't bother. I'll do the honors." 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkUnOccDcCm
Introducing? I followed him outside. 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ76z2aq5YRs
He crouched next to the dog, which was sitting up and 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdC32EJUTnL
turned his eyes to the owner. His tail came to life. 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9hbapOkwaK
"Madam, I don't know your name." 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe3NeZijNGw
"Marion". I leaned close to them. 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmMKomYMpPW
"Marion, I'd like you to meet Cheeseburger. 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwadqXULay8
Cheeseburger, this lovely lady is Marion." The dog looked 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgNhcivftQB
straight in my eyes and offered a paw. 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsCSTznMijw
I took it. "Hey, cheeseburger," I said. 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIb1TJ6Su25
He licked my hand and his tail went in high. 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8sW7Z4bZ51
"And I'm Johnny," said the man. 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMwd7iHcE5r
"Johnny, I'm afraid he's thirsty." 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfzQBTQQmqv
"Oh, he's fine," she said. "This place was shady when 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAC8j23F6fX
I left him here just a few minutes ago." Johnny picked up his 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXxpPjlsRIW
handbag. "We've been together for nine years. Look, he has my cell number on his collar and he's vaccinated 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWdZ8rkbKLC
." Johnny moved his bag under the Japanese maple 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzqX9fldEyK
and Cheeseburger sat 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8fU9pqhWRD
next to it in the shade.574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4vPNk3oNKp
"How far do you live from here?" I asked. 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfysi20HmtG
"Not far," he said. "Back in the woods, on the other side of 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡECRHE6Cubq
. We have a good tent." 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDUeuMD7Nih
"But couldn't you go to the shelter?" 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0Y6jcozUs
"They don't take a cheeseburger and I don't go anywhere without one," he said. Every time he said 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5euffjjN1z
,574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBvwYjzpgLu
cheeseburgers, the dog's tail happily wagged 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjaN5ETLCVP
,574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCYOWr92ipd
back and forth. 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVNcI1ZgOob
"Johnny, I can't leave without a cheeseburger food and water," I said. "It's 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxCpzmencn
, not you. It's just, well, I have this thing about dogs..." 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2MIUX5Vz9o
"Fine, if it makes you happy," he said. "I'll go back 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQNmSdxSY2k
now and finish my drink... It was nice 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSHofn6lUEk
meeting you, Marion. 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVW286nmkCZ
I locked up at Walgreen's and came back with a bowl, 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5kolUP8fpL
a large bottle of cold water, a bag of dog food, and 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWM7Tu3XyD
bones. Then I went in and picked up Johnny at 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡREa9O1wiio
restaurant. "I thought you should come with me while I give 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaRq4IsAchl
food and water for a cheeseburger," I told him. 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQLoQRSlhH6
"Okeydoke," he said. The cheeseburger stood Johnny 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYAV7FF3XIO
and I approached. I put the food down and he took 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk97vDk4c4E
bites of it - mostly out of politeness. He covered enough 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrPRkNp8IWR
water. 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5eV1vRXnWE
"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." 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Yr8T8yVXa
"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. 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡveT8gUnOqB
Johnny didn't seem to care. “That's how it works,” he said gently 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4X5dt4JqC
. “Every morning Cheeseburger and I get out of our tent 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqidSge3vJ
and look at the sky. And I say: Lord, we belong to you. We trust you. Take care of us one more day. 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvJu2NnjLXU
Thank you. ” And then at night, when we fall asleep, 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrtNYQhHXV9
I look at the stars and say: “God, we still trust You.” 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQfdFTfOQTh
He smiled again—that slow, easy laugh. 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdQiB3MYTeK
I smiled back. There was just something about his 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6gCm6P096S
eyes that I liked. "Maybe I'll see you and the cheeseburger again sometime 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwVrSUeeJ8x
," I said. 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmX00PWSFx2
“Okeydoke. Me and the cheeseburger come here or go to 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDSCXAAXNGw
McDonalds most mornings. Then we walk down 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9dJ2hnzfbQ
to the post office. I am a painter by trade and I hope to find a job for 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3TVJgHUFwq
."574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIoGPOeFiTy
There was a real calm about Johnny, even 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnMcliAC0KD
despite my unkind accusations. 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQxzo2GkqHf
I fished in my purse and found a twenty. 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡevTLrjE8sV
"Can I have this?" I asked hesitantly, not knowing how 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF4LLipzujD
was supposed to work. 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXPOxjY9AaM
He did not hand over the bill, but looked at me with a 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSm2KciP75U
satisfied expression. "You don't have to. We're 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnOGwvFzwuU
doing pretty well." 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡstVPqTfsUL
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"I would. Very much." 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkfiMTcAmQu
"Then I thank you, Marion. God bless you." 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRl5IAEMKI8
I went back to my car and turned on the 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk6A6pAPsA6
air conditioner. At a red light I leaned forward and looked up at the 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvmKcG0Vdd
blue cloudless sky. "Lord, I belong to you. I trust you 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQnQ5Ww6Srb
. Take care of me today. Thank you." 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡInbZ1ngfnW
The light changed. I stepped onto the highway 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQRoEgFx5OB
fresh, not so much from the cool air, but from 574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwcdPxU6VP0
. unmistakable peace, the same peace I saw in Johnny's eyes.574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVkCsytSdHm
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