Isizukulwane Sami—Siyinqaba Futhi Sinamalungelo Aphakeme!
Njengoba ilandiswa uMelvin Sargent
INTSHA eningi namuhla izalelwe emkhaye ni woFakazi BakaJehova. Kodwa ngo-1896 leli kwakuyilungelo elingavamile ngempela. Kusukela ebuntwaneni uMama wangifundisa ukwesaba uJehova ngokufanelekile nokwazisa umhlatshelo wesihlengo owenziwa yiNdodana yakhe. Ngakho ngingowesizukulwane esiyinqaba nesi namalungelo aphakeme—esasikhule ngokwanele ukuthi sabona ukuqala kwesibonakaliso sokuba khona kukaKristu ngo-1914 futhi mhlawumbe esisesincane ngokwanele ukuba siphile ukuze sibone ukuphela kwaso eArmagedoni.—UMathewu 24:3, 33, 34.
Ukuqaliswa Ngesiqalo Esihle SeTLC
Njengomntwana, nganikezwa lokho okubizwa ngokuthi ukuphathwa ngeTLC, Tender Loving Care (Ukuphathwa Ngothando). Nokho ngezinye izikhathi lokho kunakekelwa kungaboniswa ngezindlela abanye namuhla abangazibheka njengezinzima. Ngikhumbula ukuthi uMama wake wangizwa ngidlala nomfana omdala ngokushesha owaqala ukusebenzisa amagama ayemasha ngokuphelele kimi. “Lawo amagama amabi okungamelwe uwasebenzise,” engitshela, egcizelela kimi ngendlela engaphezu kwamazwi kuphela! Kodwa ngaqaphela ukuthi isijeziso sakhe sasiwukubonakaliswa kokuphathwa ngothando, futhi ngikhumbula ngizibuza ukuthi kungani umama kaJimmie engazange amjezise. Ingabe wayengamthandi ngokwanele ngempela?
Sasiwukuphela komkhaya woFakazi eJewell County, eKansas. UBaba wayengeyona inceku kaJehova ezinikezele, kodwa ngokuzithandela wayesiqhubela isifundo seBhayibheli thina zingane. Udadewethu uEva nguye owayemdala, futhi uWalter wayemdala ngezinyanga eziyi-16 kunami. Njalo kusihlwa sasilindeleke ukuba sihlanganyele ekuwasheni izitsha. Kodwa ngokuvamile uWalter wayethola izaba futhi abaleke. Nokho, mina noEva sasebenzisa lomsebenzi njengethuba lansuku zonke lokuxoxa ngamaqiniso eBhayibheli, ngakho kwakuyisibusiso esinganakekile. Kamuva ngaqaphela ukuthi abantu ababalekela imithwalo yemfanelo ekuphileni balahlekelwa yizibusiso eziningi. Lokhu kwenzeka kuWalter, kamuva owalishiya iqiniso.
Ukuphathwa kwethu ngeTLC kwaholela emiphumeleni emihle ngoAugust 4, 1912. Mina noEva savuka entathakusa futhi sahamba amakhilomitha ayi-16 ngehhashi nenqola siyogibela isitimela sasekuseni esiya eJamestown, eKansas. Ipilgrim, indlela okwakubizwa ngayo abaFundi BeBhayibheli abajikelezayo, lalivakashele khona, futhi lokhu kwakuzoba ukuhlangana kwethu kokuqala nabaFundi BeBhayibheli endaweni engaphandle kwekhaya lakithi. Futhi kwakuwusuku lokubhapathizwa kwethu.
Nakuba ngangineminyaka eyi-16 kuphela, ngabuza umzalwane oyipilgrim ukuthi ngangingayingenela yini inkonzo yesikhathi esigcwele, ngalesosikhathi eyayibizwa ngokuthi umsebenzi wamacolporteur. Wangikhu thaza ukuba ngibhalele iWatch Tower Society. Nokho, njengoba ngangisadingeka ekhaya, lokhu kwakungeke kusheshe. Phakathi nalesosikhathi, ngasebenzisa isikhathi sami ngisiza njalo abaFundi BeBhayibheli baseJamestown ekusakazeni amapheshana kuwo wonke amadolobha namadolobhana azungezile cishe angama-75.
Ngangifakaza nangezinye izikhathi. Ngesinye isikhathi lapho owesifazane ongumnini wepulazi eze ngomsebenzi othile edolobheni futhi wahlala nathi izinsuku ezimbalwa, ngamnikeza ipheshana. Kumelwe ukuba lamhlaba umxhwele. Kodwa ngemva kokuba ebuyele ekhaya eIowa, ngaze ngambona ngemva kweminyaka engama-30. WayesengumSabatha futhi wayengenaso isithakazelo ‘enkolweni yami.’ Nokho, wayenendawo eyayidinga ukunakekelwa, futhi njengoba yayingekho “indoda engumKristu weqiniso” enkolweni yakhe ayeyethemba, weza kimi. Imali angikhokhela yona yasiza eku ngigcine ni ngisenkonzweni yesikhathi esigcwele iminyaka eminingana. Yeka ukuqinisekiswa komShumayeli 11:1: “Thuma isinkwa sakho ebusweni bamanzi, ngokuba uyakusifumana emva kwezinsuku eziningi.” Noma kwalokho uJesu ake wakusho: “Kodwa funani kuqala umbuso kaNkulunkulu nokulunga kwakhe, khona konke lokhu kuyakwenezelwa nina.”—Mathewu 6:33.
Izenzakalo Ezingenakukhohlakala
Ngo-1913 ngaya emhlanganweni wami wokuqala. Ngahlatshwa umxhwele ngokubona abasha abangama-41 bebhapathizwa, futhi ngakhuthazeka ngokucabanga ukuthi ngesiqalo sami esihle (ngangibhapathizwe ezinyangeni eziyishumi ezidlule), ngingaba nethemba lokukwazi ukuba “nobuntu obunjengobukaKristu” ‘ngo-1914, ukuze ngiqinisekise ‘ukubizwa nokukhethwa’ kwami. Ngahlatshwa umxhwele futhi ngokubona amaribhoni amaningi kangaka abomvu naphuzi. Amacolporteur ayefuna ayezohamba nabo ayefaka abomvu, futhi noma ubani owayefuna ukuhamba nawo wayefaka eliphuzi.
Iphuzu elivelele kimi lomhlangano ka-1914, kwakuwukubona iPhoto-Drama of Creation nokubonela uMzalwan’ uRussell eduze. Wayenobuntu obuthandekayo futhi wabonisa isifiso sangempela sokufaka ukwaziswa okukhuthazayo ezilalelini zakhe. Wayenozwela futhi ezimisele ukulalela labo ababeza kuye nezinkinga. Kodwa wayengemkhulu kakhulu ukuba angawunaki umdlalo wengane ngesikhathi esithile. Ngobunye ubusuku njengoba nga ngikhipha izimiso zePhoto-Drama, wadlula ngokushesha. Ngamnikeza ikhophi, ngishaya sengathi angiboni ukuthi ungubani. Okokuqala wadlula, kodwa wayesebuya futhi wangibonga ehleka, engazisa ukuthi ulitholile ihlaya.
Ekugcineni ngo-1917, ngineminyaka engama-21, ngakwazi ukungenela umsebenzi wamacolporteur. IMpi Yezwe I kakade yayisiqhubeke cishe iminyaka emithathu. Ngiphethe ipotimende, izincwadi eziningi, futhi ephaketheni lami ngino-$30.00 [R60,00] ngaqonda eNebraska nomngane wami, uErne st Leuba, icolporteur elidala elinokuhlangenwe nakho. Okunye okuhlangenwe nakho kwethu kwakukuhle okunye kukubi. Ngokwesibonelo, ngikhumbula ngesinye isikhathi lapho sake sanquma ukusebenzisa indlela esheshayo yokuhambisa izincwadi. Sanyathelisa amakhadi ayenikeza abantu ithuba lokuhlola incwadi ethi The Finished Mystery mahhala izinsuku ezimbili, ngelungelo lokuyithola ngamasenti angama-60 lapho sibuya. Ngolunye usuku ekuseni ngamunye wethu wabolekisa izincwadi eziyishumi ngalendlela. Ezinsukwini ezimbili kamuva, ngakwazi ukuhambisa ezami eziyisikhombisa, kuyilapho uMzalwan’ uLeuba, owayesebenza endaweni yamaKatolika, ahambisa eyodwa kuphela. Ukuze athole enye yezincwadi ayezibolekisile, kwadingeka ukuba aye kumpristi ongumKatolika wendawo eyayidluliselwe kuye. Ngakho ngokushesha sabona ukuthi eqinisweni indlela yethu yokusheshisa yayingeyinhle njengokusebenzisa isikhathi esengeziwe sixoxa nabantu.
Yebo, sasinemali encane kakhulu, okwakusho ukuthi ngezinye izikhathi sasiba ngabahlakaniphe kakhulu ekucabangeni ngezindlela zokonga. Ngakho lapho kamuva sithu thela esabelweni esisha eBoulder, eColorado, sathenga ithikithi eliya esiteshini esingalé komngcele wesifundazwe. Khona-ke sehla esitimeleni futhi sathenga elinye ithikithi lohambo olusele kwesinye isitimela. Ngani? Ngoba imali yokuhamba ngaphakathi kwesifundazwe ingamasenti amabili ngekhilomitha nengxenye, kodwa uma unqamula izifundazwe yayiba ngaphezulu. Ngaphandle koko nga imali, sakwazi ukusebenzisa isikhathi sethu phakathi nesikhathi sokulinda sifakaza ngokwethukela.
Izinkinga Zesikhathi Sempi Nesiqalo Esisha
Manje kwakungu-1918, futhi iUnited States yayisemvuthwandaba wempi. Isiphepho sokuphikiswa obala kwabaFundi BeBhayibheli saqala, sihlukanisa labo ababesaba nalabo ababengesabi. Abanye babazalwane ababesebudaleni bokujutshelwa impi, nakuba babenqaba ngenxa kanembeza, bavuma ukwenza inkonzo engahlangene nempi.
Lapho ngibhalisa, ngafuna ukukhishwa njengesikhonzi. Ngacabanga ukuthi amaphuzu ami ayenezisekelo ezinhle, futhi ukujutshwa kwami kwalibala njengoba indaba yami yayithunyelwe ebhodini lezicelo. Bacabanga ngokwehlukile futhi basenqaba isicelo sami. Nokho, lokhu kulibala kwasiza ekwenzeni ukuba ngingaboshwa ngoba manje kwase kuyisikhathi sokuvuna, futhi angithathwanga waze waphela lomsebenzi obalulekile epulazini labazali bami. Ekugcineni ukujutshwa kwami kwamiselwa uNovember 15. Impi yaphela ngoNovember 11. Ngasinda ekuyeni ejele ngezinsuku ezine kuphela.
Abanye abasekela ngesibindi ukungathathi-hlangothi kobuKristu abazange baphumelele kahle. Emhlanganweni owawuseDenver, ngahlangana nomunye wabo. Echaza isizathu sokuba nembungculu, umzalwane wakhuluma ngokuboshelwa kwakhe emthini yisixuku esishisekayo esasimthele ngetiyela elishisayo ekhanda. Wathi, “Abesifazane ababeseqenjini yibo ababebabi kakhulu.” Wayegunde izinwele zakhe ukuze akhiphe itiyela. Khona-ke wahleka kakhulu futhi wathi ngokuhlangenwe nakho kwakhe: “Ayikho enye into eyayingangenza ngikubalekele.”
Ngenxa yesimo sazo sokungahlehli, ezinye zeziphathimandla zeWatch Tower Society zaboshwa ngokungemthetho. Kodwa ngo-1919, zisesejele, zaphinde zamiswa ezikhundleni zazo eNhlanganweni, naphezu komzamo wezihlubuki wokufaka abanye ezikhundleni zazo. Abazalwane abathembekile bamukela lokhu njengesibonakaliso sokuvunyelwa uJehova. Begcwele injabulo, bekhuthazwe ukugeleza okusha komoya ongcwele, manje base bezimisele kunanini ngaphambili ukuthatha kabusha umsebenzi wokushumayela ngoMbuso nokudalula abefundisi ngokwehluleka kwabo kobuzenzisi ukusekela uMbuso kaNkulunkulu. Ukugqashula okuphelele eBabiloni kwase kuqalile.
NgoFebruary 24, 1918, eLos Angeles, eCalifornia, ngemva kokuba iUnited States ihileleke eMpini Yezwe I ngoApri16, 1917 uMzalwan’ uRutherford wanikeza ngokokuqala inkulumo evusa amadlingozi ethi “Izigidi Eziphila Manje Azisoze Zafa.”
Izinguquko Ezibalulekile Phakathi Neminyaka
Eminyakeni eyisikhombisa mina noLydia Tannahill sasilondoloze ubungane bethu ngokuyinhloko ngokubhalelana. Ngemva kokucabangela ngomthandazo, ngo-1921 sanquma ukuthi kuyoba okungcono ngathi ukuhambisana namazwi kaPawulu lapho eluleka ngokuhlala ungashadile, athi, “owendisa indodakazi yakhe, wenza kahle.” (1 Korinte 7:38) Umshado wethu wawuyisipho esivela kuJehova futhi wenza izinhliziyo zethu zajabula. Nokho, ngokushesha sabhekana nosizi. Ukuhamba kwakubangele ukulimala kwakudala komgogodla kaLydia ukuba kuvuke, futhi inhliziyo yami, nakuba yayithembekile futhi inothando, yayishaya kancane, odokotela bayibiza ngokuthi “inhliziyo ekhathele”. Lokhu kwenza ngaphathwa yianemia (isifo sokuphelelwa yigazi). Sobabili sase siphelelwa amandla. Selulekwa ukuba sishintshe indawo ngenxa yesimo sezulu futhi sinciphise ukuhamba kwethu kwansuku zonke. Indlu yethu ethuthekayo yayingasisiza ekulandeleni leseluleko, ngalokho sachitha uSeptember 1923 sisendleleni eya eCalifornia.
Njengoba ngingowesizukulwane esinamalungelo aphakeme, ngiye ngavunyelwa ukuba ngibone indlela inhlangano kaJehova ebonakalayo eye yathuthuka ngayo phakathi neminyaka. Ngangikhona lapho iLos Angeles ihlelwa okokuqala ngamasimu ashunyayelwa umuntu oyedwa, lapho kuqalwa ukufakaza ngeSonto, nalapho samukela igama lethu elisha, elithi OFakazi BakaJehova, ngo-1931. Yeka injabulo okwaba yiyo ukubona ushintsho olwenziwa ngo-1932 nango-1938 olwaqinisekisa ukumiswa kwabadala okungokwasezulwini, kunokuba kube okwentando yeningi. Futhi kuye kwaba yinjabulo ukubona izindaba nezinkinga ezingacacile, njengezokungathathi-hlangothi nobungcwele begazi, zikhanyiswa.
Nakuba ngo-1923 ngase ngiwuyekile umsebenzi wamacolporteur, ngaso sonke isikhathi ngangiye ngalondoloza umoya wamaphayona. Ngakho ngo-1943 ngakwazi ukuphinde ngihlanganyele ezinhlwini zamaphayona ezikhula ngokushesha. Ngo-1945 ngaze ngaba ngisho nanelungelo lokuba yiphayona elikhethekile, ngakhonza iminyaka eyisishiyagalolunye kuleyonkonzo kwaze kwaba yilapho ‘inhliziyo yami ekhathele’ iphinda ingihlupha. Kusukela ngo-1954 ngiye ngakhonza njengephayona elivamile.
Umshado wami noLydia wahlala iminyaka engama-48 kwaze kwaba yilapho ngo-1969 eya esabelweni esisha, ifa lakhe ‘aligcinelwe ezulwini,’ okuyisabelo nami engithemba ukusithola ngesikhathi esifanele. (1 Petru 1:4) Nakuba singazange sibusiswe ngabantwana, sabusiswa ngalokho abaningi abakubheka njengomshado omuhle. Nakuba ukulahlekelwa kwami kwakukukhulu, ukuzigcina ngimatasa ezithakazelweni ezingokwasezulwini kwangisiza ngakunqoba. Kamuva ngashada nephayona elinokuhlangenwe nakho engase ngineminyaka eminingi ngilazi, uEvamae Bell. Sajabulela iminyaka eyi-13 yobungane, kwaze kwaba yilapho naye efa.
Isizukulwane Sami—Siyinqaba Ngendlela Ekhethekile
Ngezinye izikhathi ngiye ngabuzwa: “Kuye kwaba yini okuhlangenwe nakho kwakho okukhulu kakhulu eqinisweni?” Ngaphandle kokungabaza ngiyaphendula: “Ukubona kugcwaliseka esizukulwaneni sami iziprofetho zeBhayibheli ezalotshwa amadoda aphefumlelwe nazinikezele emakhulwini eminyaka adlule.”
Yebo, amalungu esizukulwane sami angaphandle kwenhlangano engokwasezulwini aye aba njengoba nje iPhoto-Drama of Creation ka-1914 yathi ayeyoba njalo: athanda imali, athanda injabulo, athanda udumo. Thina esingaphakathi kwenhlangano yeNkosi siye sazama, ngazo zonke izindlela, ukuphendulela ukunaka kwethu esigijimini sokuphila. Siye sasebenzisa iziqubulo, izimemezelo ezigcwala lonke ikhasi, umsakazo, izimoto ezinemibhobho, amagilamafoni, imihlangano emikhulu, abantu abaningi abaphethe izibonakaliso, nebutho elikhulayo lezikhonzi zasendlini ngendlu. Lomsebenzi uye wahlukanisa abantu—labo abamelela uMbuso kaNkulunkulu omisiwe ngakolunye uhlangothi, labo abamelene nawo ngakolunye. Lona kwakuwumsebenzi uJesu awubikezelela isizukulwane sami!—Mathewu 24:31-46.
Kuze kube yilapho ‘lenhliziyo yami ekhathele’ ishaya okokugcina, izoqhubeka ishaya ngokwazisa ilungelo engiye ngalijabulela lokuba ngowesizukulwane esiyinqaba. Izoqhubeka ishaya ngokujabulela ilungelo enginalo manje loku bona izigidi zobuso obumamathekayo obumiselwe ukuqhubeka bumamatheka kuze kube-phakade.
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UMelvin noLydia Sargent, bengamacolporteur, ngo-1921
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UMelvin noEvamae Sargent, ngo-1976