Ndayeka Umsebenzi Ofihlakeleyo Ukuze Ndibe Kwinkonzo Engcwele
Kubalisa uAndrew Hogg
“Ukuba kuye kwafuneka sithumele iintolo-mlilo zenyukliya, loo nto iya kuthetha ukuba asiwenzanga kakuhle umsebenzi wethu, latsho njalo igosa eliyintloko, kwinkwili esasisebenza kuyo.” Loo nto yaphemba uthethathethwano ngokufaneleka kwemfazwe yenyukliya. Yenzeka njani into yokuba ndisebenze kwinkwili, msebenzi lowo okwabizwa ngokuba ngumsebenzi ofihlakeleyo ngenxa yokuzama kwethu ukuwufihla?
NDAZALELWA ePhiladelphia, ePennsylvania, eUnited States ngowe-1944. Ekukhuleni kwam, ndaphenjelelwa ngutata, utatomkhulu nomalume, ababesemkhosini, nto leyo eyandenza ndajonga lo msebenzi njengolona sukelo lubalulekileyo lufanele lufikelelwe ngabantu. Ndiseyinkwenkwe, ndaya kubona inkampu yomkhosi wamanzi apho ndandiqala ngqa ukubona inkwili. Ukususela loo mini, ndazixelela ukuba ndiza kusebenza kwinkwili. Ndathi xa ndandisele ndiphambili kwisikolo samabanga aphakamileyo, ndamkelwa kwiSikolo Somkhosi Wamanzi SaseUnited States. Kwiminyaka emine emva koko, ngoJuni 1966, ndaphumelela kweso sikolo.
Ndangena kwinkqubo eyiNaval Nuclear Propulsion Program ndaza ndaqeqeshelwa ukusebenza ngenyukliya nokusebenza kwinkwili. Kwathi ke ngoAprili 1967, ndatshata noMary Lee Carter, umfazi wam endisamthanda nangoku. Ekugqibeleni, ngoMatshi 1968, ada azaliseka amaphupha endandinawo ndisakhula, xa ndathunyelwa kwinqanawa yam yokuqala, inkwili eyiUSS Jack. Kwisithuba sonyaka emva koko, uMary Lee wazala umntwana wethu wokuqala kwababini—intombi yethu, uAllison.
Ngowe-1971, ndabekwa njengeGosa Lobunjineli leUSS Andrew Jackson, yaye ngumqhubi wayo lo wayethetha amazwi asekuqaleni. Ngoxa sasiselwandle kule nkwili idubula iintolo-mlilo, kwabakho ingxaki eyoyikwa ngabo bonke abantu abasebenza kwiinkwili—umlilo. Emva nje kwasezinzulwini zobusuku, sisaphumle namanye amajoni, seva isithonga. Kwatsho unkqe nkqe nkqe, kwaza kwachazwa embokweni ukuba, “Igumbi lokuqala elinobuxhakaxhaka liyatsha!”
Ngenxa yokuba yayindim owayejongene nabo bonke oomatshini neenkqubo zombane, ndaya ngakwelo cala ukuya kujonga umonakalo. Kwabakho umlilo okhawulezileyo kwenye yeejenereyitha zeoksijini kule nqanawa, jenereyitha ezo ezazisinceda ngomoya wokuphefumla. Sobane sakhawuleza safaka izigqubuthelo saza sacima zonke iigesi ezinokubamba umlilo apho. Ngethamsanqa, akuzange kubekho mntu wenzakalayo. Nakuba kwakukho loo mbhodamo, sakwazi ukuhlala kwiindawo esasabelwe kuzo—nto leyo eyabonisa ukuba sasiqeqeshwe kakuhle.
Ndakhetha Ukufunda Ngendoda Yoxolo
Ukuze sihlangabezane noxinezeleko lwasemsebenzi, sakhuthazwa ukuba sichithe iiyure ezimbalwa veki nganye sifunda nangantoni na enento yokwenza nendlela yokuphila. Ndandidla ngokufunda ngamabali obomi bamagorha adumileyo emfazwe. Noko ke, ngeny’ imini ndakhetha ukufunda ngomntu odume ngokudal’ uxolo—uYesu Kristu. Ndisebenzisa iBhayibhile endandiyifumene ukuphumelela kwam kwisikolo sasemkhosini, ndafunda iiNcwadi zeVangeli. Kodwa ukufunda kwam ezo ncwadi kwandenza ndanemibuzo emininzi. Ndandifuna umntu oza kundinceda.
Kwathi kusakuphela umsebenzi esasiwenza, igosa eliyintloko labiza intlanganiso kwelinye igumbi laza lasichazela ukuba: “Madoda, injineli yethu yabelwe kowona msebenzi uphambili kuMkhosi waseUnited States. Iza kusebenza kwiOfisi Yonoonjineli kwinkwili yokuqala kwezo zakhelwe ukulwa.” Ndandothukile!
Lo msebenzi wenza ukuba mna nentsapho yam sifudukele eNewport News, eVirginia, apho yayakhelwe khona inkwili iUSS Los Angeles. Kulo msebenzi ndandihlola iinkqubo zoononjineli, ndibhala iincwadi zoomatshini nezokuqeqesha. Lo msebenzi wawubandakanya izinto ezininzi kodwa ndandiwuthanda. Kungelo xesha, awathi uMary Lee wazala unyana wethu uDrew. Ngoku ndandisele ndinabantwana ababini, yaye kwakhona ndacinga ngoThixo, ndizibuza: ‘Yena uthini ngemfazwe? Kwenzeka ntoni xa umntu esifa? Ngaba sikho isihogo?’
Ekugqibeleni Yaphendulwa Imibuzo Yam!
Malunga nelo xesha, inkosikazi yam yaqalisa ukuba neengxubusho namaNgqina kaYehova amabini. Ngenye imini xa ndandifowunele ekhaya ndisemsebenzini, uMary Lee wathi, “Ndikunye ‘noosisi beBhayibhile’ ababini.”
“Ngabayiphi icawa?” Ndabuza.
“NgamaNgqina kaYehova,” waphendula ngelitshoyo.
Ndandingazi kwanto ngamaNgqina, kodwa ndandifuna ukuyazi iBhayibhile. Ndathi: “Bameme ukuba baze kusityelela ngeny’ ingokuhlwa.” Kamsinya nje emva koko, omnye wabo weza nomyeni wakhe saza mna nenkosikazi saqalisa ukufunda iBhayibhile.
Ekugqibeleni, yaphendulwa imibuzo endandinayo kangangeminyaka emininzi. Ngokomzekelo, ndafunda ukuba abantu abafileyo “abazi nto konke konke” njengokuba kunjalo xa usebuthongweni—ngokutsho kukaYesu. (INtshumayeli 9:5; Yohane 11:11-14) Ngoko ke, abantu abafileyo, abonwabi okanye bathuthunjiswe kodwa ‘basebuthongweni’ belindele uvuko.
Mna noMary Lee saqalisa ukuya kwiintlanganiso zamaKristu kwiHolo yoBukumkani yasekuhlaleni. Apho sabona amaNgqina—ahlukileyo ngemvelaphi nemfundo yaye eziintlanga ezahlukahlukeneyo—onke ekhonza uThixo ngoxolo nangomanyano. Mna nenkosikazi satsho ukuba: “Ngenene iBhayibhile iyakwazi ukubuphucula ubomi babantu.—INdumiso 19:7-10.
Ixesha Lokwenza Isigqibo
Xa kwaqhambuka iMfazwe yama-Arabhu namaSirayeli ngowe-1973, kwathunyelwa iinkwili zeU.S. Atlantic Fleet. Izinto ngezonakala kakhulu, yaye kungelo xesha endathi ndaqonda ukuba buBukumkani bukaThixo kuphela obuya kuzisa uxolo lokwenene oluya kuhlala lukho kungekhona ezobupolitiko. Phofu ke, ndandisoloko ndithandaza ndisithi, “Mabufike ubukumkani bakho. Makwenzeke ukuthanda kwakho nasemhlabeni” kodwa ndandingayazi intsingiselo yalo mthandazo. (Mateyu 6:9, 10) Kodwa ngoku ndiyazi ukuba uBukumkani bukaThixo bungurhulumente wasezulwini oza kulawula ihlabathi lonke kungekudala noza kutshayela bonke ububi nabenzi babo.—Daniyeli 2:44; 7:13, 14.
Esona sibhalo seBhayibhile sandichukumisayo yeyesi-2 kwabaseKorinte 10:3, 4. Sithi, amaKristu okwenyaniso ‘akalwi mfazwe ngokoko akuko enyameni. Kuba izixhobo zawo zemfazwe asizizo ezenyama, kodwa ngaye uThixo zinamandla.’ Ndafunda ukuba ezo “zixhobo” zezokomoya yaye ziquka ‘ikrele lomoya’—iBhayibhile Engcwele.—Efese 6:17.
Ngoko kwakumele ndenze isigqibo. Ngaba ndandiza kuqhubeka nomsebenzi wam owawunzima kodwa ndiwuthanda okanye ndandiza kuphila ngokuvisisana nenyaniso yeBhayibhile? Emva kokuthandaza ngalo mba, ndagqiba ekubeni ukuba ndikuthanda ngokunyanisekileyo ukuba noxolo, ndimele ndilandele indlela kaThixo.
“INkokeli” Yam Entsha
Mna noMary Lee sawuthandazela lo mba sithetha ngekamva lethu saza sagqiba kwelokuba sifuna ukukhonza ekuphela “kweNkokeli Yokwenene”—uYehova uThixo. Sobabini sagqiba kwelokuba sizahlulele kuYehova ndaza ndafaka isicelo sokuyeka emkhosini. Ngoko ndathunyelwa eNorfolk, eVirginia ndilindele ukwamkelwa kweso sicelo. Uninzi lwabantu endandisebenza nabo lwalungasiqondi isigqibo endasenzayo yaye abanye babengasiginyi ncam. Kodwa abanye baba nomdla ngesigqibo sam esisekelwe eBhayibhileni yaye basihlonela.
Ngowe-1974 samkelwa isicelo sam sokuyeka emkhosini. Kwangalo nyaka mna nenkosikazi yam safuzisela uzahlulelo lwethu ngokubhaptizwa emanzini kwiNdibano Yesithili yamaNgqina kaYehova eyayinomxholo othi “Injongo Yobuthixo” eyayiseHampton, eVirginia. (Mateyu 28:19, 20) Baqala ngolo hlobo ke ubomi bethu obutsha.
Ukujamelana Neengxaki Ezintsha
Mna noMary Lee sasinabantwana abancinane ababini, kungekho mvuzo siwamkelayo yaye imali esasinayo yayiza kwanela nje iinyanga ezimbalwa. Ndathumela uxwebhu oluchaza izinto endikwaziyo ukuzenza kubaqeshi abaliqela ndaza ndathembela kuThixo. Akuzange kube kudala, ndaqeshwa yenye inkampani. Ndandihlawulwa umvuzo osisiqingatha salowo ndandiwufumana emkhosini kodwa lo msebenzi wasinceda sakwazi ukuqhubeka sihlawula indawo esasihlala kuyo.
Njengokuba mna nenkosikazi sasikhula ngokomoya, safuna ukwandisa inkonzo yethu kuYehova. Intsapho engamaNgqina esasiyazi eyayifudukele kumbindi weVirginia ukuze ikhonze apho kwakufuneka abafundisi beBhayibhile abangakumbi, yasimema ukuba siye kuyityelela. Emva nje kolo tyelelo saceba ukufudukela apho. Ndafaka isicelo sokuya kusebenza kwisebe lale nkampani elikwenye indawo yaye ndavuya kuba samkelwayo eso sicelo. Ukwamkelwa kweso sicelo kwahamba nokunyuselwa. Yaye le nkampani yavuma ukuhlawula iindleko zam zokuthutha. Satsho sathi, ‘ngokwenene uThixo uyabanyamekela abo benza ukuthanda kwakhe.’—Mateyu 6:33.
Ngenxa yokuba siye saqhubeka siphila ubomi obulula, mna noMary Lee siye sakwazi ukuba kwinkonzo yexesha elizeleyo. Oku kwenze ukuba sikwazi ukuchitha ixesha elininzi nabantwana bethu ababini ekukhuleni kwabo. Eneneni, oko kuye kwanemiphumo evuyisayo, kuba uAllison noDrew baqhubeka ‘behamba enyanisweni.’—3 Yohane 4; IMizekeliso 23:24.
Ewe, ebekho amaxesha okuxhalatyiswa ziingxaki zemali, ukungabi nalo ikhaya, impilo nokukhula. Kodwa uYehova ebesoloko engakuthi. Ngaba ndiyazisola ngokuyeka “umsebenzi ofihlakeleyo”? Andizisoli nakancinane! Xa mna noMary Lee sicinga ngobomi bethu, sinokutsho ngaphandle kwamathandabuzo ukuba uYehova uyasivuza ngenxa yokuba simkhonza.—INtshumayeli 12:13.
[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 14]
Sagqiba kwelokuba sikhonze “iNkokeli Yokwenene”
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 12, 13]
Inkwili iUSS “Los Angeles”
[Inkcazelo]
U.S. Navy photo
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 13]
Ndim lo noMary Lee namhlanje