Opening the laundry chute in the basement one morning, I found treasure. Several small metal cars and a few Paw Patrol characters rolled out as I reached for the dirty clothes. I laughed and realized my young grandson was now tall enough to open the little door on the wall of our upstairs bathroom.
Over the next few days, there were many questions about that door. Why is it there? Where do the things go? Why don’t they come back again? I showed him that the dirty clothes fall into a box near the ceiling of the basement; I open a door on the box and pull out the pieces, I explained, and then I wash everything. He wanted to help pull out the items, and was especially excited at finding some of his own clothes there. Then he asked, “Why can’t I see where it goes? Where’s the other part? Why is it dark?”
This little guy wanted to see the whole laundry chute! I explained, as simply as I could, that it runs between two stories of our house; we can’t see it, but we know it is there. When we put clothes in upstairs, they come out downstairs. But we can’t see them when they’re somewhere in the middle.
What an interesting faith lesson this is! Sometimes we feel like we are in the darkness and cannot see where we are going. We cannot determine our way through a situation to its outcome. We have a plan for how our lives should look at each stage, but sometimes we cannot figure out how to reach the destination we have in mind.
Thankfully, our Heavenly Father is there to help. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. (NIV) As we read the Bible, we find specific directions for some circumstances, and we find guidelines and general principles that we can apply to others. For example, in Acts 1:4, Jesus tells His disciples to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. That is a direct instruction to the apostles.
While the eleven and other followers, now totaling 120 people, are gathered and waiting, they pray (Acts 1:14). That’s a principle for us as well; we should be praying regularly about the situations we face. When we’re in a situation where we don’t know the answers, pray. Ask for direction. Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance, and for our awareness of His presence. Ask God to lead us out of darkness and through the unknown. We may be in the darkness of the laundry chute, but God is already there on the other side.
Back in Acts 1, Peter recalls Scripture verses from the Psalms that apply to Judas. The group is now one disciple short of the original twelve, following Judas’ death. This is another great principle for us: apply what the Bible tells us. In Acts 1:21-23, we see that the disciples lay out criteria for replacing Judas; they choose two men who fit the bill; and they ask God to reveal His choice to replace Judas. Again, they commit to praying before acting.
Now that he’s five and better understands the workings of the laundry chute, my grandson periodically announces, “Gigi, there are things in the chute for you. You can get them.” And that opens the opportunity for new life lessons, when he’s ready.
Carol C. and her husband have been married for 50 years. She is a proud mother and grandmother, as well as a teacher and author. For more from the book of Acts, check out our Acts Bible study. You can listen to any of our Bible studies by tuning in to your favorite radio station, listening to our podcast on iTunes, or listening through TuneIn or Stitcher online radio.
Leave a Reply