Joseph Finds Acts
Joseph Anderson Donetti lay on his stomach across the bed. He stared out the bedroom window at the almost-navy-blue sky. Joseph loved watching the sky darken as the evening slid into the night. It happened so gradually that he could hardly see it happening even when he didn’t blink. He had never noticed the sky much back home in the city. He wondered why.
Joseph rolled over on his back and picked up the red notebook Pastor Chuck had given him that afternoon. He opened it to the first page where Pastor Chuck had printed the four Bible verses. Joseph looked at all the blank lines under the verses. He was suppose to write down on those lines any special thoughts that he might have. Well, he had one special thought. Actually, it was kind of a special worry. Joseph scooted across the bed and grabbed a pencil from the top of the bookcase. He tapped the eraser against his cheek and then began to write in the notebook. How will I be able to find all these texts by myself?
Joseph looked at the list of texts again. Two of them were in the book of Romans, he noticed. He had a sudden thought. Maybe the Bible was like a regular book. Maybe there would be a Table of Contents in the front! Joseph carefully turned the very first pages of his Bible. Far out! There was a Table of Contents! He read down the long list of books printed in columns. Yes! The book of Romans. It was on page 846. And, he noted happily, the book of Acts was just before the book of Romans. On page 817. One of the texts he was supposed to read was in Acts.
Joseph plumped up the pillows and leaned back against them. He decided to read the verse in Acts first. It was the same one he had read out loud for the baptismal class that afternoon. He found Acts. He found chapter 16. But when he began reading at verse 29, he realized that he was in the middle of a story that had started somewhere before. Joseph saw some dark print above verse 16 that read, “Paul and Silas in Jail“. Maybe he should begin reading there.
Joseph liked to read. He liked to picture in his mind what he was reading. Kind of like a movie—his very own private movie. And he was so involved in picturing Paul and Silas being beaten and thrown into jail that he didn’t even hear G.M.’s footsteps coming up the stairs.
G.M. poked her head in the bedroom door. “I was wondering why it was so quiet up here,” she said.
Joseph jumped. “You scared me!” he said with a little grin. Then he looked back at the Bible he was holding. “Who was Paul? And who was Silas?” he asked.
G.M. walked across the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. “Hmmm,” she said, “I see you’re reading in the book of Acts.” G.M. kicked off her shoes. “Paul was a powerful preacher of the gospel,” she began. “Maybe the most powerful preacher there ever was. And he always wanted to save the world. First, he wanted to save the world from the Christians. He traveled around the countryside searching Christians out so they could be killed.”
“What?” Joseph exclaimed.
“That’s right,” G.M. answered. “And then one day he met the Lord. The Lord appeared to Paul and spoke to him right there on the road. The light of the Lord’s appearance was so bright that Paul went blind.”
“Paul went blind?” Joseph repeated.
“For a little while,” G.M. said.
“Where is that story?” Joseph asked. “I want to read it!”
“It’s in Acts 9,” G.M. said. “Only, when you start the story, Paul isn’t named Paul. He is named Saul.”
“Why did Paul want to kill Christians?” Joseph asked. “And why did he change his name?”
“Well, it’s a long story,” G.M. said. “I guess you’ll have to start reading beforeActs 9.”
Joseph looked up at G.M. “There is sure a lot of stuff to know!” he said. “And I don’t know any of it!”
G.M. leaned over and kissed Joseph’s forehead. “That’s OK,” she said. “You know the most important part already. You know that God loves you and that He died on the cross to save you. And you have decided that you want to be a part of God’s family and live with Him forever in heaven. And,” she continued, “you know where to look for the rest of the answers.” G.M. pointed to Joseph’s Bible. “But don’t stay up all night reading!”
G.M. softly closed the bedroom door. This time Joseph did hear the old stairs creak as G.M. went back down.
Joseph looked out the window again. The sky was black now and looked soft. A few tiny stars twinkled here and there. Joseph yawned. He picked up his pencil again. There is a lot of stuff to learn about in the Bible, he wrote. But I already know the most important part. I know that Jesus died to save me, and I know that salvation is a free gift!
Joseph looked at his new watch. He smiled to himself, remembering how Pastor Chuck had told the baptismal class they could have his brand-new sports watch. And he had been the one who believed it! Joseph rubbed a corner of his T-shirt over the glass face to polish it. Then he picked up his Bible again and began to read Acts chapter 9. G.M. had said not to read all night. But he could read a little longer.
