Ngayeka Inkonzo Yomshoshaphansi Ngenza Inkonzo Engcwele

Njengoba ilandiswa ngu-Andrew Hogg

“Uma bekungadingeka sicibe amabhomu ethu enuzi, umsebenzi wethu ubungeke ube yimpumelelo,” kwasho umphathi womkhumbi-ngwenya wethu. Lokhu kwavusa izingxoxo ezivuthayo maqondana nokufaneleka kwempi yenuzi. Kodwa kwenzeka kanjani ukuba ngisebenze ngemikhumbi-ngwenya, umsebenzi obuye ubizwe ngokuthi inkonzo yomshoshaphansi ngenxa yemizamo yethu yokuba singabonwa?

NGAZALELWA ePhiladelphia, ePennsylvania, e-U.S.A., ngo-1944. Ekukhuleni kwami ngathonywa ubaba, umkhulu, nomalume bonke abake baba amasosha, ababebheka lokhu njengento engcono kunazo zonke ezingenziwa umuntu. Ngisewumfana, ngavakashela endaweni eyayiseduze yemikhumbi yempi futhi ngabona umkhumbi-ngwenya okokuqala. Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi umgomo wami waba ukuyosebenza ngemikhumbi-ngwenya. Lapho sengenza unyaka wami wokugcina esikoleni esiphakeme, ngamukelwa eSikhungweni Sokuqeqesha Amabutho Asemanzini Sase-United States. Ngaphothula ngemva kweminyaka emine ngo-June 1966.

Ngangena ohlelweni olubizwa ngokuthi i-Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program ukuze ngiqeqeshelwe ubuchwepheshe bezenuzi nokusebenza ngemikhumbi-ngwenya. Ngo-April 1967, ngashada noMary Lee Carter, umkami othandekayo kuze kube manje. Ekugcineni, ngo-March 1968, amaphupho ami asebuntwaneni afezeka lapho ngijutshwa ukuyosebenza emkhunjini wami wokuqala, umkhumbi-ngwenya i-USS Jack. Ngemva konyaka, uMary Lee wabeletha ingane yethu yokuqala kwezimbili, indodakazi yethu u-Allison.

Ngo-1971, ngamiswa njengoNjiniyela Omkhulu womkhumbi-ngwenya okuthiwa i-USS Andrew Jackson, ukaputeni wawo owasho amazwi acashunwe ekuqaleni. Ngesinye isikhathi sisolwandle ngalo mkhumbi-ngwenya wokuciba amabhomu e-polaris, sabhekana nesimo esiphuthumayo esesatshwa yibo bonke abantu abasebenza ngemikhumbi-ngwenya—umlilo. Kwathi ebusuku ngemva nje kwamabili, siziphumulele nezinye izikhulu, sezwa ubugudlugudlu. Ngemva kwalokho kwaba nomsindo wenhlaba-mkhosi namazwi athi, “Kunomlilo egumbini lokuqala lemishini!”

Ngenxa yokuthi yimi engangiqondisa zonke izimiso zemishini nezikagesi, ngaphuthuma ngayohlola umonakalo. Ilangabi laliqale komunye umshini wokwenza umoya-mpilo emkhunjini, ukuze kube nomoya esasingawuphefumula. Sobane safaka izifonyo zomoya-mpilo ngokushesha sikhipha wonke ama-gas ayengokhela umlilo kalula kuleyo ndawo. Ngenhlanhla, akekho owalimala. Naphezu kwalowo mshophi, sakwazi ukuqhubeka nomsebenzi wethu wokuhamba sihlola isimo—ubufakazi bokuthi sasiqeqeshwe kahle.

Ngakhetha Ukufunda Ngomenzi Wokuthula

Ukuze sisizwe ukuba sibhekane nokucindezeleka okubangelwa umsebenzi, sakhuthazwa ukuba sisebenzise amahora ambalwa isonto ngalinye sifunda okuthile okuphathelene nosiko-mpilo. Ngangivame ukufunda ngabantu abathile ababengamasosha aqavile. Kodwa, kulokhu ngakhetha ukufunda ngothile owaziwa kakhulu ngokuba umenzi wokuthula—uJesu Kristu. Ngisebenzisa iBhayibheli engangilithole ngesikhathi ngiphothula esikhungweni sokuqeqesha amasosha asemanzini, ngaqala  ukufunda amaVangeli. Kodwa lokhu engangikufunda kwangenza ngaba nemibuzo eminingi engenazimpendulo. Ngangidinga usizo.

Ngasekupheleni komsebenzi wethu wokuhamba sihlola isimo, umqondisi wethu wabiza umhlangano nabanye abaqondisi egumbini lemihlangano futhi wenza isaziso: “Madoda, unjiniyela wethu usanda kwabelwa ukuba ayokwenzela iButho LaseManzini Lase-United States umsebenzi ongcono kakhulu. Uzokuba uNjiniyela Omkhulu womkhumbi wokuqala wohlobo olusha olwakhiwayo lwemikhumbi-ngwenya yokuhlasela yebutho lasemanzini.” Ngamangala!

Isabelo sami esisha sathuthela umkhaya wami eNewport News, eVirginia, lapho i-USS Los Angeles yayakhiwa khona. Umsebenzi wami wawuhlanganisa ukuqondisa ukuhlolwa kwezimiso zobunjiniyela, ukubhala iziqondiso zemishini nokwenza izinhlelo zokuqeqesha. Lo msebenzi wawuyinkimbinkimbi kakhulu kodwa wanelisa. Phakathi naleso sikhathi, uMary Lee wabeletha indodana yethu, uDrew. Manje ngase ngingubaba wezingane ezimbili, futhi imicabango yami yaphinde yaphendukela kuNkulunkulu: ‘Ucabangani ngempi? Kwenzekani lapho ufa? Ingabe sikhona isihogo?’

Izimpendulo Ekugcineni!

Phakathi naleso sikhathi, umkami waqala ukuba nezingxoxo noFakazi BakaJehova ababili. Ngelinye ilanga ngashayela uMary Lee ucingo ngisemsebenzini, wathi: “‘Kunabesifazane beBhayibheli’ ababili lapha.”

Ngambuza: “Basontaphi?”

Waphendula: “BangoFakazi BakaJehova.”

Ngangingabazi nhlobo oFakazi BakaJehova, kodwa ngangifuna ukuliqonda iBhayibheli. Ngathi: “Bameme ukuba bafike kusihlwa ngelinye ilanga.” Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, omunye wabo weza nomyeni wakhe, futhi mina nomkami saqala ukufunda iBhayibheli.

Ekugcineni, ngaqala ukuthola izimpendulo zemibuzo okwase kuphele iminyaka iyindida. Ngokwesibonelo, ngafunda ukuthi abafile “abazi lutho,” njengokungathi basebuthongweni obukhulu—ukuqhathanisa okwasetshenziswa uJesu. (UmShumayeli 9:5; Johane 11:11-14) Ngakho-ke, abafile abajabuli futhi abahlushwa kodwa “balele” ekufeni, balinde uvuko.

Mina noMary Lee saqala nokuya emihlanganweni yamaKristu eHholo LoMbuso. Lapho sabona oFakazi—abanosiko-mpilo, imfundo, nobuzwe nezizinda ezingafani—bonke bekhonza uNkulunkulu ngokuthula nangobunye. Mina nomkami saphetha ngokuthi, “IBhayibheli lingakuthuthukisa ngempela ukuphila kwabantu.”—IHubo 19:7-10.

Isikhathi Sokunquma

Lapho kuqala iMpi yama-Arabhu nama-Israyeli ngo-1973, kwathunyelwa iviyo lemikhumbi-ngwenya elibizwa ngokuthi i-U.S. Atlantic Fleet.  Izinto zazingase zibe zimbi nakakhulu, lokhu kwenza kwakhanya kimi ukuthi uMbuso kaNkulunkulu kuphela oyoletha ukuthula kweqiniso nokuhlala njalo, hhayi ezombangazwe. Empeleni, ngangivame uthandaza njalo ngithi “Umbuso wakho mawuze. Intando yakho mayenzeke nasemhlabeni,” kodwa ngingazi ukuthi lokho kusho ukuthini. (Mathewu 6:9, 10) Kodwa manje ngase ngiqonda ukuthi uMbuso kaNkulunkulu unguhulumeni wasezulwini ngokushesha ozobusa umhlaba wonke, ususe bonke ububi nabantu ababi.—Daniyeli 2:44; 7:13, 14.

UmBhalo owawungikhathaza ngokukhethekile kwakungeyesi-2 Korinte 10:3, 4. Uthi, amaKristu eqiniso, ‘awalwi impi ngokwalokho ayikho enyameni. Ngoba izikhali zempi yawo azizona ezenyama, kodwa ngoNkulunkulu zinamandla.’ Ngafunda ukuthi lezo “zikhali,” ziwuhlobo olungokomoya, futhi zihlanganisa “nenkemba yomoya”—iBhayibheli Elingcwele.—Efesu 6:17.

Manje kwase kufanele ngikhethe. Ingabe ngangizoqhubeka nomsebenzi wami, engangiwuthola uyinselele futhi ujabulisa, noma ngangizovumelanisa ukuphila kwami namaqiniso eBhayibheli? Ngemva kokucabangela le ndaba ngomthandazo, ngaphetha ngokuthi uma ngiqotho ngempela ngokuba umenzi wokuthula, kufanele ngenze izinto ngendlela kaNkulunkulu.

“UMbusi” Wami Omusha

Mina noMary Lee sacabangela ikusasa lethu ngomthandazo futhi sanquma ukuthi sizokhonza “uMbusi” wangempela—uJehova uNkulunkulu. Ngamunye wethu sanquma ukunikezela ukuphila kwethu kuJehova, futhi ngafaka incwadi yokwesula ebuthweni lempi lasemanzini. Ngabe sengithunyelwa eNorfolk, eVirginia, ukuze ngilindele imvume yokuba ngikhululeke. Sazidida isinqumo sami ezinye izikhulu engangisebenza nazo, futhi ezinye zamelana nami. Kodwa ezinye zazinesithakazelo esiqotho embonweni wami weBhayibheli futhi zahambisana nesinqumo sami.

Ngo-1974 nganikwa imvume yokuba ngikhululeke. Ngalowo nyaka mina nomkami sabonakalisa ukuzinikezela kwethu kuNkulunkulu ngobhapathizo lwamanzi eMhlanganweni Wesigodi woFakazi BakaJehova eHampton, eVirginia, owawunesihloko esithi “Injongo Yaphezulu.” (Mathewu 28:19, 20) Ukuphila kwethu okusha kwase kuqalile.

Ukubhekana Nezinselele Ezintsha

Mina noMary Lee sasinabantwana ababili, singasebenzi, futhi sinemali encane eyayingasiqhuba izinyanga ezimbalwa kuphela. Ngathumela incwadi yami yezimfanelo zomsebenzi ezinkampanini eziningi ngabe sengishiyela izinto ezandleni zikaJehova. Kungakapholi maseko, ngaqashwa yinkampani yezinkonzo zomphakathi. Ngangihola ingxenye yemali engangiyihola ebusosheni, kodwa lo msebenzi wenza sakwazi ukuqhubeka sihlala kuleyo ndawo.

Njengoba mina nomkami sasithuthuka ngokomoya, safuna ukwenza okwengeziwe enkonzweni kaJehova. Umkhaya othile ongoFakazi esasiwazi wawusanda kuthuthela maphakathi neVirginia ukuyokhonza lapho kunesidingo esikhulu sabafundisi beBhayibheli, futhi wasimema ukuba siwuvakashele. Savakasha kanye nje kuphela futhi ngemva kwalokho saqala ukwenza izinhlelo zokuthutha. Ngafaka isicelo sokushintshelwa kwenye indawo, futhi ngokujabulisayo samukelwa. Empeleni, sahambisana nokukhushulelwa esikhundleni esiphakeme! Inkampani yavuma ukukhokhela nezindleko zethu zokuthutha. Sacabanga, ‘Ngempela uNkulunkulu uyabanakekela labo abalwela ukwenza intando yakhe.’—Mathewu 6:33.

Ngenxa yokuthi umkhaya wethu ulondoloze indlela yokuphila elula, mina noMary Lee siye sakwazi ukungenela inkonzo yesikhathi esigcwele. Lokhu, kwenza sakwazi ukuchitha isikhathi esiningi nezingane zethu ezimbili ezinhle kakhulu lapho zisakhula. Ngempela, imiphumela yalokhu isinike injabulo engenakulinganiswa, ngoba u-Allison noDrew bayaqhubeka “behamba eqinisweni.”—3 Johane 4; IzAga 23:24.

Yebo, kuke kwaba nezikhathi lapho siye sakhathazwa yizimo zomnotho, indawo yokuhlala, impilo nokuguga. Kodwa uJehova ubelokhu enathi. Ingabe ngiyazisola ngokuthi ngayeka “inkonzo yomshoshaphansi”? Lutho neze! Uma sibheka ukuphila kwethu, singasho ngaphandle kokungabaza ukuthi ukukhonza uJehova, kuyinto ephakeme kakhulu neyanelisayo umuntu angayenza.—UmShumayeli 12:13.

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 14]

Sanquma ukukhonza “uMbusi” ophakeme kunabo bonke

[Isithombe ekhasini 12, 13]

I-USS “Los Angeles”

[Umthombo]

U.S. Navy photo

[Isithombe ekhasini 13]

NginoMary Lee namuhla