NDAZALWA ngowe-1943 eRubottom, eOklahoma, eUnited States. Ndaba nogonyamelo kwasebuntwaneni bam. Xa ndandikwisikolo samabanga aphakamileyo ndaqalisa ukunxila. Ekubeni utata wayenogonyamelo yaye elinxila, ukusela kwam kwasenza umtya nethunga. Sasisiya kwimidaniso nakwiimbutho ngenjongo nje yokunxila nokulwa.

Ndatshata ngowe-1966, saza nenkosikazi yam uShirley sanabantwana ababini, uAngela noShawn. Sekunjalo, ndaqhubeka ndisela ngamandla. Ukuze ndibe nemali eyaneleyo, ndandilima ndize ndithengise intsangu. Enye into endandiyenza kukugcina ucwangco kwiibhari zasekuhlaleni, ibe oko kwakundinceda ndanelise unxano nogonyamelo. Ngelo xesha, ndandingoyiki mntu okanye nantoni na, kwangaxeshanye ndingazikhathazi ngento yokuba ubani uziva njani na.

Umzala kaShirley wafudukela eKhalifoniya, nalapho wafundelwa iBhayibhile waza waba liNgqina likaYehova. Ukubuyela kwakhe eOklahoma, wachazela uShirley ngezinto azifundileyo, waza ke naye wakhawuleza waqonda ukuba yinyaniso leyo. Emva kokuyifundisisa ngokucokisekileyo iBhayibhile, naye uShirley wagqiba ekubeni abe liNgqina, waza wabhaptizwa ngowe-1976. Ndandingafuni kuva kwanto ngonqulo lwakhe. Ndathi, “Ungandiphatheli kwamntu uza kuthetha nam! Andifuni kuva kwanto.”

UShirley akazange agungqe ekunyanisekeni kwakhe kwimigaqo yeBhayibhile, waqhubeka endithanda. Xa eza kuhamba nabantwana ukuya kwiintlanganiso zabo, wayendimema ngobubele ukuba ndihambe naye. NoAngela wayedla ngokuthi, “Tata sirhalela uhambe nathi.”

Ekubeni ndandisenza izinto zolwaphulo-mthetho, ndandingohlukani nompu. Ndandikhe ndinyamalale kangangeentsuku, nto leyo eyayisiza nengxabano endlwini. Ukubuya kwam, ndandidla ngokulalisa uShirley ngokuya naye kwezinye iintlanganiso. AmaNgqina ayesoloko endiphatha ngobubele, yaye efundisa izinto ezibhadlileyo.

Ekuthubeni, omnye umdala webandla wacela ukufunda nam iBhayibhile. Nam ke  ndavuma. Okubuhlungu kukuba izinto endandizifunda zazingandincedi nganto—kuba ndandiqhubeka ndinxulumana nabahlobo bam. Ekuqonda oku, lo mdala waxubusha nam imigaqo yeBhayibhile echaza iingozi zonxulumano olubi. (1 Korinte 15:33) Nakuba elo cebiso lakhe lalivela eBhayibhileni, ndakhubeka ndaza ndayeka ukufunda, ndaqhubeka ndisidla ngendebe endala. Oko kwamxhela gqitha uShirley nabantwana!

Ngowe-1983 ndeva iindaba ezimbi. Ndafelwa ngumtshana osenyongweni. Oku kwanditsho ndacinga nzulu ngobomi bam. Ndabona ukuba ndiyawonakalisa umtshato nentsapho yam—kanye ezona zinto zazibalulekile kum. Ndaqala ngoko ukutshintsha. Emngcwabeni wakhe, elinye iNgqina elikhulileyo uJohn landanga ngobubele laza lathi, “Ndifuna wazi ukuba sisakuthanda.” Andomeleza gqitha loo mazwi! Kusuku olulandelayo ndafowunela uJohn ndicela ukufundelwa iBhayibhile kwakhona, ngethemba lokwenza olo tshintsho ndandimele ndilwenze kwakudala.

Kwisifundo sethu sokuqala, saxubusha ngomthandazo ndaza ndaxelela uJohn ukuba ndandiza kuzama ukuthandaza. Ngemini elandelayo, ndaya kufuna umsebenzi ofanelekileyo, kodwa andawufumana. Ngoxa ndiqhuba, ndathandaza ngokuvakalayo ndathi, “Yehova, ukuba ufuna ndihlale apha, ndinike umsebenzi.” Emva koko ndacinga, ‘Ayibhadlanga kodwa le nto—ndiyabula nje ndithetha ndedwa.’ Indlela yayisende ukuze ndazi ukuba uThixo ‘ungumphulaphuli wemithandazo’—kwakunjalo ke nangemithandazo yam! (INdumiso 65:2) Noko ke, into emangalisayo kukuba ndathenjiswa ngomsebenzi kusuku olulandelayo!

Emva koko, ndaqalisa ukuthandaza rhoqo ngokunyaniseka. Ndandihlala ndizibona iintsikelelo zikaYehova. Ndandisoloko ndikholelwa kuThixo, kodwa ezi zinto zandinceda ndabona ukuchana kwamazwi akweyoku-1 kaYohane 5:14, athi: “Kungakhathaliseki ukuba yintoni na esiyicelayo ngokuvumelana nokuthanda kwakhe, uyasiva.” Ngenxa yokuqonda amandla omthandazo, ndamthanda ngakumbi uYehova ndanentembelo ngakumbi kukhokelo lwakhe.—IMizekeliso 3:5, 6.

Ukuya kwam kwiintlanganiso zawo kwakhona, amaNgqina andamkela ngobubele. Ndatsho ndaqonda nokuba ‘athandana kakhulu ngokusuka entliziyweni,’ ibe ndachukumiseka. (1 Petros 1:22) Ndaqonda ukuba ayinyaniso  amazwi eMizekeliso 13:20, athi: “Ohamba nezilumko uya kuba sisilumko naye, kodwa osebenzisana neziyatha uya kuhlelwa bububi.”

Kangangeminyaka ndayitsalisa nzima ikwintlungu engathethekiyo intsapho yam, kodwa ngoku ndandizama ukuba ngumyeni, utata othetha kakuhle, obhetele nothanda uxolo. Ndaqalisa ukuthobela isiluleko seBhayibhile esithi “amadoda afanele abathande abafazi bawo njengemizimba yawo” nesokuba ootata abamele ‘babacaphukise abantwana babo, ukuze bangadakumbi.’—Efese 5:28; Kolose 3:21.

Iinguqu endandizenza zaba negalelo elihle kwintsapho yam. Ndatsho ndabona ukuba ayinyaniso amazwi kaYesu akuMateyu 5:3 athi: “Banoyolo abo bayiphapheleyo intswelo yabo yokomoya.” Ekugqibeleni ndalufumana ulonwabo lokwenene!

Kwindibano yamaNgqina kaYehova eyayingoJuni 1984, kwadliwan’ indlebe nentombi yam uAngela. Wachaza into endandikade ndiyiyo emva koko wachaza utshintsho endilwenzileyo. Waqukumbela ngokuchaza indlela awayevuya ngayo kukundibona ndihleli ngaphambili phakathi kwabo babeza kubhaptizwa ngolo suku.

Ndimbulela ngokwenene uYehova ngokuba engabancami abantu abafana nam! Ndibulela noShirley nabantwana bethu ngokungandincami. UmKristu wokwenene uShirley, wathobela ngokuthembeka isibongozo esikweyoku-1 kaPetros 3:1 esithi: “Nina bafazi, wathobeleni amadoda enu, ukuze kuthi, nokuba kukho kuwo angalithobeliyo ilizwi, azuzeke ngaphandle kwelizwi ngenxa yehambo yabafazi bawo.” Ukunyaniseka kwakhe, umonde nehambo entle kuyo yonke loo minyaka yobutshivela bam, kwandivulela umnyango de ndabuyela ezingqondweni.

Ukususela ekubhaptizweni kwam, ndisoloko ndisebenzisa umzekelo kaShirley ukukhuthaza abo banamaqabane angakholwayo ukuze bangancami. Ndidla ngokuthi: “Ngexesha elifanelekileyo, uYehova angasebenzisa amandla eLizwi lakhe, iBhayibhile nehambo yakho entle ukuze ancede iqabane lakho liguquke—kwanokuba oko kubonakala kungenakwenzeka.”