Ukudumisa Ukuthula Esikhundleni Sempi
Njengoba Ilandiswa Ngudorothy Horle
Ngazalelwa emkhayeni wamaNtaliyane angamaKatolika eWilmington, eDelaware, e-U.S.A., ngo-1919. Abazali bami babengasonti, kodwa babesitshela ukuba siye esontweni mina nodadewethu ababili. Ngangihlatshwa umxhwele yizakhiwo zamasonto ezinhle ezakhiwe ngobuciko, ezinezithombe eziqoshiwe nobukhazikhazi.
NJENGOBA iminyaka yayidlula, ngaphelelwa yisithakazelo enkolweni yobuKatolika. Isonto lalingenandaba neBhayibheli, kanti ubaba wayelihlonipha futhi elifunda njalo. Yayingikhungathekisa imibiko yesonto ekhuluma ngabantu abanikele nokuthi banikele ngamalini. Kwakukhona namahlebezi amaningi ngabapristi abakhohlakele. Lapho ngineminyaka engu-15 ubudala, ngangingasayi ezinkonzweni zobuKatolika. Lokhu kwanginikeza isikhathi esengeziwe sokuphishekela ukuqeqeshwa kwezobuciko.
Ukusebenza Ngezobuciko
Ngo-1940, lapho ngineminyaka engu-21 ubudala, ngashada noWilliam Horle, insizwa eyayikujabulela ukudweba noma yini ehlobene nempi—izindiza, amasosha, izibhamu nemikhumbi. UBill wajabula kakhulu ngokuthi ngiyingcweti, futhi wangithengela isethi yokuqala yamabhulashi okudweba. Ngaqala ukufunda amasu ezingcweti ezindala.
Ngemva kweminyaka ecishe ibe mibili sishadile, uBill waqala ukwenza umsebenzi wokwakha izithombe zempi ezincane ngomthofu. Ingabe kwakungamasosha angamathoyizi? Lutho neze! Wayefisa ukwenza imiklamo yobuciko bangempela. Ezinye izingcweti zazisebenzisa ipulasitiki, ukhuni, noma usimende, kodwa uBill wayekwazi ukusebenzisa umthofu ngenxa yokuqeqeshwa ayekuthole njengomkhandi wemishini.
Wayedweba umfanekiso, awakhe, abese ewunameka ngomthofu. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, waba yingcweti ekuhlanganiseni izingxenye zazo, ukuzishisela, ukuzikhuhla zibe bushelelezi abese ezipholisha. Kamuva wayeka ukubumba izithombe ngosimende wasebenzisa igwadle. Lokhu kwakumnikeza ithuba lokucacisa imininingwane yesithombe.
Ngemva kokuba isithombe ngasinye sesakhiwe, kwakuwumsebenzi wami ukusiqedela. Ngokucwaningisisa, sathola izincazelo zenyufomu yempi yasendulo—ngisho nezinkinobho, ukwenziwa kwemichilo, amabheji nemibala yayo.
Ngisebenzisa amathuluzi okukhulisa izithombe, ngangisebenzisa amafutha nopende okwenzelwe ukunamathela ensimbini. Lokhu kwakwenza izithombe zethu zibonakale sengathi ziyaphila. Njengoba sasisebenzela egumbini elincane elingaphansi kwendlu yethu ePhiladelphia, ePennsylvania, sasikhiqiza izithombe zamaNdiya aseMelika, amasosha eMpi Yombango, amaButho Asemanzini Ase-United States, amahhashi kaNapoleon nabagibeli bawo, amaMamluk aseGibithe, amaZouave ase-Algeria nezinye!
UBill wabe esethola isimemo esivela emaButhweni Asemanzini Ase-United States sokuba abumbe isithombe sebutho lokuqala lamahhashi elathunyelwa ePeking (manje eyiBeijing), eChina, ngaphambi kuka-1939. Sasebenza ngokuzimisela, kwase kuthi ngo-1954, sasithumela e-Smithsonian Institution, eWashington, D.C. Eminyakeni eminingi kamuva, uMongameli Lyndon Johnson wabuza ukuthi lesi sithombe sasingathuthelwa yini eWhite House. Savuma.
Sasingazidayisi izithombe zethu, kodwa uBill waphana ngeziningi. Sasikhulunyelwa kahle ezincwadini eziningi ezikhuluma ngezithombe zamasosha eziqoshiwe. Umsebenzi wethu wathunyelwa eMbukisweni Womhlaba Wonke ngo-1965 eFlushing Meadow, eQueens, eNew York. Iminyuziyamu yayicela izithombe zethu eziqoshiwe. UBruce Catton, isazi-mlando seMpi Yombango Yase-United States, wasebenzisa idlanzana lemifanekiso nezithombe zethu eziqoshiwe ezithombeni zezincwadi zakhe.
Imibuzo Ephathelene Nokuphila Iyanda
Nokho, cishe lapho sengineminyaka engu-40 ubudala, izinto zaqala ukushintsha ekuphileni kwami. Ngaqala ukucabanga ngoNkulunkulu. Ngolunye usuku ngoKhisimusi, izingane ezinhlanu ezingamaKatolika zasha zangqongqa endlini ngesikhathi abazali bazo besesontweni. Ngazibuza, ‘UNkulunkulu angakuvumela kanjani lokhu ukuba kwenzeke ngosuku lwakhe lokuzalwa?’ Ngabona incwadi eyayilandisa ngezenzo zonya zokuQothulwa KwamaJuda. Lezi zenzakalo kanye nezinye ezinyantisayo emhlabeni zangenza ngazibuza, ‘Ukuphi uNkulunkulu? Akawenzi umsebenzi wakhe!’
Ngenxa yesibonelo sikababa sesikhathi eside, ngaba nomuzwa wokuthi impendulo iseBhayibhelini. Ngakho ngaya emzini wompristi wamaKatolika eduze komuzi wethu ePhiladelphia futhi ngacela ukubona umpristi ukuze sizoxoxa ngeBhayibheli. Ngalinda laze lashona, kodwa wangafika. Isonto ngalinye, ngangiya emzini wompristi kodwa angikaze ngixoxe ngisho nakanye naye, kwaze kwaphela amasonto amane.
Ngolunye usuku kusihlwa, ngidumele, ngabheka ezulwini ngathandaza: “Angazi ukuthi ungubani. Angazi ukuthi iyiphi inkolo otholakala kuyo, kodwa ngiyazi ukuthi ukhona. Ngicela ukukwazi!” Ngemva kwesikhashana, ngavakashelwa oFakazi BakaJehova.
Ngangivame ukubabona oFakazi bepaka izimoto zabo, behle, bese beya emizini ehlukahlukene. Nakuba ngangingazi lutho ngabo noma ukuthi babefunani, umsebenzi wabo wawungithakazelisa.
Ngalolo suku ngo-1961 lapho oFakazi bevakasha, ngangicindezelekile ngoba ukufuna kwami uNkulunkulu kwakungayi ndawo. Njengoba ngangihlanza umnyango wakwami wangaphambili, owesifazane osemdala okuthiwa uMarge Brion wasondela esitebhisini wayesengibingelela. Angizange ngimnake. Kodwa njengoba ayekhuluma ngokuthi umhlaba uzoguqulwa ube yipharadesi elihle, ngalalela konke ayekusho. Ekugcineni wabuza, “Ungilalele?”
Ngakuphinda konke ayekushilo, kuhlanganise nevesi leBhayibheli ayelicaphune ku-Isaya 55:11. Ngabe sengiphenduka, ngambamba ngengalo, ngathi, “Ngena!” Wangipha iBhayibheli lami lokuqala nencwadi yokulitadisha ethi Ukusuka EPharadesi Elilahlekile Ukuya EPharadesi Elizuziwe. Wacela nokungiqhubela isifundo seBhayibheli njalo—uhlobo lwesifundo enganginethemba lokuthi ngizosithola eSontweni LamaKatolika.
Ngenxa yokufunda kabili ngesonto, ngathuthuka ngokushesha ekutadisheni kwami iBhayibheli. Ngokushesha, kwaba sobala ukuthi ngilitholile iqiniso. Ukwazi igama likaNkulunkulu, elithi Jehova, kwangishukumisa kakhulu ngokomzwelo. (IHubo 83:18) Ake ucabange—lona kwakunguNkulunkulu engangilangazelelé ukumazi kusukela ebuntwaneni! Ngafunda nokuthi iNdodana yakhe, uJesu Kristu, ayiyona ingxenye eyimfihlakalo kankulunkulu onguziqu-zintathu. (Johane 14:28) Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, ngase ngiya emihlanganweni yobuKristu yoFakazi BakaJehova futhi ngifisa ukuba umshumayeli wesikhathi esigcwele wesigijimi seBhayibheli.
Ukwenza Izinqumo Ezibalulekile
Manje ngase ngibhekene novivinyo olukhulu. Ingabe ngangizolishiya iqembu lezingcweti likaWilliam noDorothy Horle? Ngangingamkhonza kanjani uNkulunkulu wokuthula neNdodana yakhe, iNkosi Yokuthula, kuyilapho ngidumisa impi ngemiklamo yobuciko? (Isaya 9:6) Ingabe uJehova akathembisanga ‘ukuphelisa ukulwa kuze kube semikhawulweni yomhlaba’? (IHubo 46:9) Pho, kungani ngithuthukisa okuthile uNkulunkulu azokuqeda? Futhi ingabe u-Isaya akazange aprofethe ukuthi abantu bakaNkulunkulu ‘babeyokhanda izinkemba zabo zibe ngamakhuba’ futhi bangabe besayifunda impi? (Isaya 2:4) Ngacabanga futhi ngathandaza ngobuqotho isikhathi eside. Nganquma ukuthi “ngeke ngisaqhubeka nokudweba lezi zithombe!” Ngo-April 25, 1964, ngabonakalisa ukuzinikezela kwami kuJehova uNkulunkulu ngobhapathizo lwamanzi.
UBill wayevame ukuthi uyadumala kakhulu ngokuthi ngolunye usuku sasiyohlukaniswa ukufa. Lapho ngiqala ukutadisha iBhayibheli, ngangivame ukumtshela ngithi: “Bill, singaphila phakade ezweni elisha likaNkulunkulu!” (Isaya 25:8; IsAmbulo 21:4, 5) Wayecabanga ukuthi ngisangene. Lapho ngichaza ukuthi kungani ngangingasenakuzipenda izithombe zempi ngonembeza okhululekile, wathukuthela futhi wangisongela ngokungishiya. Kamuva wangishiya.
UBill wenza izithombe zempi eziqoshiwe eyedwa iminyaka eminingi. Kodwa akazange athuthele kude kakhulu, futhi wayelokhu engisekela njalo mina nendodana yami, uCraig, owayezalwe ngo-1942. Ngo-1988, uBill wabuya, futhi sahlala ndawonye iminyaka eyishumi kwaze kwaba sekufeni kwakhe.
Phakathi naleso sikhathi, ngo-1966, ngafinyelela umgomo wami wokuba yiphayona. Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi, angizange ngibheke emuva. Ngaba nelungelo lokutadisha iBhayibheli nodadewethu omdala. Wazamukela izimfundiso zalo, futhi ubelokhu enguFakazi oshisekayo kuze kube namuhla. Ubaba wasilalela isigijimi seBhayibheli futhi phakathi namasonto amabili waqala ukuya emihlanganweni eHholo LoMbuso. Lapho eseneminyaka engu-75 ubudala, wabhapathizwa, futhi waqhubeka ethembekile kuNkulunkulu kwaze kwaba sekufeni kwakhe eneminyaka engu-81 ubudala. Umama naye wamamukela uJehova njengoNkulunkulu wakhe, nakuba afa ngaphambi kokuba azinikezele. Wayeneminyaka engaba ngu-94 ubudala.
Phakathi nayo yonke le minyaka, uJehova, uNkulunkulu wokuthula, uye wangibusisa kakhulu. Manje ngineminyaka engu-81 ubudala, ngiseyiphayona, nakuba sekunzima ukuhamba. Ngizizwa njengomphostoli uPawulu, owabhala: “Ngiyambonga uKristu Jesu iNkosi yethu, owadlulisela amandla kimi, ngoba wangibheka njengokholekile ngokungabela inkonzo.” (1 Thimothewu 1:12) Yeka ukuthi kuye kwaba inkonzo ekhazimula kangakanani! Abaningi engiye ngatadisha nabo iBhayibheli baye bazidela ukuze bakhonze uNkulunkulu wethu onomusa.
Ngiyadabuka kakhulu ngokuthi wonke umkhaya wami awuzange ulamukele iqiniso leBhayibheli. Mhlawumbe ngokuhamba kwesikhathi abanye bazolamukela. Kodwa kimina amazwi kaJesu aye aba yiqiniso uma ethi abalandeli bakhe ‘babeyothola ngokuphindwe kayikhulu manje kulenkathi yesikhathi, izindlu nabafowabo nodadewabo nonina nabantwana.’ (Marku 10:30) Yebo, uJehova uye wangicebisa. Yeka ilungelo nenjabulo enginayo ngokudela udumo nempi ukuze ngithole uNkulunkulu nokuthula!
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SinoJenene L. C. Shepherd, Jr., ngo-1954
[Umthombo]
Defense Dept. photo (Marine Corps)
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(Ubukhulu baso bangempela)
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Ngineminyaka engu-81 ubudala, kanti sengineminyaka engaphezu kwengu-30 ngiyiphayona