Ukufuna Impumelelo

KWAKUNGOJULY 20, 1969. Umkhumbi mkhathi onguApollo 11 nenkonyane yawo yokwehlela enyangeni wajikeleza inyanga wenza amalungiselelo okugcina okuhlala komuntu enyangeni okwakuzoba okokuqala emlandweni. Ngangihleli endlini yokuqondisa uhambo lwasemkhathini eNdaweni Yemikhumbi mkhathi Ethwala Abantu eHouston, eTexas, nginemicabango eminingi ezulazula engqondweni yami. Ingabe ukuhlala enyangeni kuyoba ngokuphephile? Ingabe isimiso enganginengxenye kuso siyosebenza kahle sifeze imisebenzi yaso edingekile?

Mina, kanye nabanye abaningi ababesebenze ngenkuthalo iminyaka eminingi bebheke kulesikhathi, salinda futhi salalela ngokunakekela. Ngokushesha, izwi elalivela emkhathini kude ngamakhilomitha ayizi-386 000 lathi: “Houston, inkonyane ka-Apollo isihlalile.” Yeka ukuthi ngajabula futhi ngaba namadlingozi kanjani uma ngizwa lawomazwi!

Kodwa, nokho, nakuba ngangisizile ekuklameni, nasekwakheni nasekuhloleni umkhumbi mkhathi owabeka umu ntu enyangeni, ngokushesha ngabona ukuthi ngangingakayitholi impumelelo—impumelelo yoqobo—nenjabulo ekuphileni. Kodwa ngaphambi kokuba ngikutshele okwengeziwe ngalokho, ake ngichaze kuqala ukuthi ngahileleka kanjani ohlelweni lwezasemkhathini nomphumela okwaba nawo ekuphileni kwami.

Amathonya Akuqala

Ngakhulela epulazini eOklahoma lapho ukusebenza kanzima

kwakuyindlela yokuphila. Nakuba sasinokudla okwanele, okokugqoka nendawo yokuhlala, kwakuba nezikhathi lapho sasingabi nayo imali eyanele yokuthenga isitembu sokuposa, ngalesosikhathi esasibiza amásente amathathu kuphela (U.S.).

Ubaba wayekhuliswe emkhayeni ompofu kakhulu futhi wayethole imfundo ephansi nje kuphela. Ngakho-ke wagcizelela kubantwana bakhe isidingo sokuthola imfundo enhle yasekholiji ukuze baphumelele. Yilokho engangizimisele ukukwenza. Ngangisebenza amahora amaningi ngesikhathi kuvalwe izikole ngibambe amatoho uma sekuvulwe izikole. Ngangiba seklasini usuku lonke futhi ngitadisha ubusuku ngabunye kuze kube sentathakusa. Ngo-1961 ngaqeda ukufunda enyuvesi yaseOklahoma ngathola iziqu zeBachelor of Science zobunjiniyela bukagesi.

Phakathi neminyaka emine engangisekholiji ngayo uhlelo lwezomkhathi lwaqala ukuba sezingeni eliphezulu, futhi izinkampane eziningi zazibafuna ngamandla abaneziqu zobunjiniyela. Lokhu ngempela kwangikhanga njengoba kwabonakala kufana noshintsho olukhulu kusuka empilweni yasepulazini. Njengoba ngangiphumelele kahle ekholiji, ngathola inqwaba yezimemo zomsebenzi kulo lonke elaseUnited States. Ngavuma esisodwa eCape Canaveral, eFlorida, lapho kusukela khona yonke imikhumbi mikhathi enosonkanyezi.

Ukulwela Impumelelo

Kwangithatha isikhathi esincane ukuba ngibanjwe emoyeni wokuthanda uhlelo lwezomkhathi. Emasontweni amathathu nje ngemva kokuba ngiqalile ukusebenza, umkhumbi mkhathi wokuqala ojikelezayo waseUnited States onosonkanyezi wacitshwa. Ngisho noma ngingazange ngisebenze ngokuqondile kulolohambo lwasemkhathini, ngazizwa ngiyingxenye yalo. Umoya wobuzwe wawumkhulu ngalesosikhathi, njengoba umongameli waseUnited States wazisa ngokusobala ngesinqumo sokuba izwe lakhe libeke umuntu enyangeni futhi limbuyise ngokuphephile emhlabeni kuleloshumi leminyaka (lawo-1960). ISoviet Union yabonakala ingenele indlela efanayo, ngakho-ke, empeleni, kwakubhekwa njengo“mncintiswano wezomkhathi.” Ngangikushi sekela ukwenza umsebenzi wami wezwe lakithi futhi ngisize ekuphumeleleni kulomncintiswano.

Ngangifisa kakhulu ukuphumelela emsebenzini wami. Ukuze ngiphumelele kulokho nganginakekela ukuba ngisebenzise wonke amathuba ukuze ngibe phambili. Ngokuvamile ngangisebenza amahora (ngingakhokhelwa ngeovertime) futhi ngokuzithandela ngangivuma ukuthatha uhambo lokuyosebenza ngaphandle kwedolobha lolo abanye ababelwenqaba ngenxa yokungafuni ukuba kude nemikhaya yabo. Ngabhalisela izifundo zasebusuku ngisebenzela iMaster’s Degree, njengoba umphathi wami angikhuthaza ukwenza lokhu njengendlela yokuthuthuka. Njengoba umphathi wami oseduze ayejabulela ukudlala amakhadi, nami ngawangenela, ngikubheka lokhu njengethuba lokuthuthukisa impumelelo yami.

Kungakapheli iminyaka emibili ngakhushulelwa esikhundleni sokuphatha iqembu lonjiniyela abahlanu kuya kwabayisikhombisa, nakuba iqembu lalilincane, kwakuhileleke umthwalo omkhulu. Ngalesikhathi ngase ngazi abanye bosonkanyezi, futhi ingxenye yomsebenzi wami kwakuwukubagcina bazi ukuthi inqubo yokuqondisa umkhumbi mkhathi yayisilungele ukusebenza. Ngangingajabuleli nje kuphela umsebenzi wami kodwa nesithunzi eseza ngokwazana nokujwayelana nosonkanyezi.

Kungakabi isikhathi eside ngakhushulelwa esikhundleni sokuqondisa imisebenzi yonjiniyela abayi-10 kuya kwabayi-12 ngesikhathi sokuhlolwa komkhumbi mkhathi usesendaweni ozosukela kuyo. Njengoba umthwalo wethu wemfanelo wawuhlanganisa uhlelo olukhulu kakhulu kwezomkhumbi mkhathi futhi mina ngingumkhulumeli weqembu, lokhu ngempela kwangenza ngaba nomuzwa wokubaluleka okukhulu. Ngendlela engangicabanga ngayo ngalesosikhathi, ngase ngiyifinyelele impumelelo.

Ekupheleni koHlelo lwe“Gemini” (umkhumbi mkhathi onosonkanyezi ababili), nganikezwa ithuba lokusuka eKennedy Space Center eFlorida ngiye eManned Space Center eHouston, eTexas, ukuyosebenza eSimisweni sika-Apollo Wokuhlala Enyangeni onosonkanyezi abathathu. Njengoba lokhu kwabonakala njengendlela enhle yokwenza intuthuko eqhubekayo, angichithanga sikhathi ekwamukeleni lelothuba.

Iminyaka emibalwa eyalandela yachithelwa ukusebenzela uhambo lokuqala lokuhlala enyangeni, ukwenza iziqondiso zecomputer zenqubo yokukhombisa indlela, ukuhlela imininingwane yobuciko ohambweni lwezomkhathi nokuhlola uhambo kuyicomputer ephansi. Ngikhumbula ngitshelwa ngomunye wezikhulu zami: “Ayikho into ebaluleke ngaphezu kokuphumelelisa loluhambo.”

Ngenxa yalokho, ngaba umuntu osebenza kakhulu. Konke ukuphila kwami kwagxila ekunikezeni usizo ohambweni oluphumelelayo lokuyohlala enyangeni nasekuzenzeleni igama ezikhulwini zami. Umkhaya wami wathola ukunakekelwa okuncane. Ukuziqhayisa kwakugqamile kimi, lapho ngoJuly 20, 1969, ngokokuqala ngqa emlandweni, umuntu engangimazi futhi engangisebenza naye enyathela enyangeni ephuma kumkhumbi mkhathi engangisize ekuwuklameni nasekuwakheni.

Ushintsho Ekucabangeni

Phakathi konyaka noma emibili eya landela lokhukuhlala kokuqala komkhumbi mkhathi enyangeni, ngaqala ukucabanga ngokungathi sína ngomsebenzi wami wobungcweti nokuthi ikusasa lalingiphatheleni. Ngangibona sengathi sengifinyelele impumelelo enkulu—umsebenzi okhokhela kahle, nokulondeka okubonakalayo okungokwezimali, umuzi, umkhaya kanye nabangane abahloniphekayo. Kodwa kwakuba sobala ngokwengeziwe kimi ukuthi ngangibanjwe esimisweni sezinto eqinisweni esingaholeli ndawo. Njengoba ngangifeza okuningi, ngangisalelwa okuningi futhi kokukufeza singekho isiphetho. Empeleni lokho engase ngikufinyelele kwasekungumuzwa wokulondeka okuyize. Impumelelo yoqobo nenjabulo yeqiniso ayizange ibe khona kulokho engase ngikufinyelele.

Khona-ke, phakathi nehlobo lika-1973, isihlobo somkami sasivakashela. Sona nomkaso sasikade sitadisha iBhayibheli noFakazi BakaJehova, futhi babelungiselela ukuba semhlanganweni woFakazi BakaJehova owawuzoba seHouston, eTexas. Njengoba sasingenzi lutho olunye kuleyompelasonto, mina nomkhaya wami saba khona emhlanganweni kanye nabo. Ngahlatshwa kakhulu umxhwele ubuqotho, ukubekezela, isimo sokuzotha somuntu ngamunye njengoba babemi emigqeni belindele ukudla.

Ngemva-nje kwalowomhlangano, mina nomkhaya wami saqala ukuba khona emhlanganweni eHholo LoMbuso LoFakazi BakaJehova elisendaweni yakithi, futhi basilungiselela isifundo seBhayibheli samasonto onke. Into yokuqala eyangihlaba umxhwele ngokujulile kulokho engangikufunda kwakuyithemba lokuphila emhlabeni ohlanziwe ekuhaheni, ebubini nokungalungi. (AmaHubo 37:10, 11, 29; IzAga 2:21, 22; 2 Petru 3:13) Ngempela lokhu kwamelana ngokuphelele nobugovu, umoya wokuncintisana engangiwubonile futhi ngaba ingxenye yawo iminyaka eminingi kangaka.

Njengoba ngaqhubeka ezifundweni zami zeBhayibheli, ngakwazisa ukwazi ukuhlobanisa isimo sami sokuphila nalokho engangikufunda. Ngokwesibonelo, ngazibeka endaweni yeNkosi uSolomoni lapho ngifunda amazwi akhe alotshwe kumShumayeli 4:4: “Futhi ngabona wonke umshikashika nakho konke okwenziwe ngekhono ukuthi kungumhawu womuntu ngomakhelwane wakhe. Nalokho kuyize nokufuna umoya.” Yeka ukuthi lokhu kwakuyiqiniso kanjani ngami! Ngangisebenze kanzima futhi ngaba nekhono kwengakwenza. Nokho kwakuyize, noma kungasizi lutho, ekungilondolozeleni injabulo ehlala njalo nokuthula kwengqondo.

Ukwenza Izinguquko Ekuphileni Kwami

Ngokolwazi engangiluzuza, nganquma ukuthi kumelwe ngenze izinguquko ekuphileni kwami. Ngokwesibonelo ngafunda kwabaseGalathiya 5:26 ukuthi amaKristu kumelwe ‘angafuni udumo oluze, eqalana, efelana umhawu.’ Nakuba ngase ngivele ngicabange ukuwuyeka umsebenzi wami wokuqhudelana, manje ngeneliseka ngesidingo sokwenza kanjalo.

‘Kodwa ngangiyokwenza kanjani lokho futhi ngisekele umkhaya wami wamalungu amahlanu ngezinga esasesilejwayele?’ Ngazibuza. Ngakhuthazwa ngamazwi aqinisekisayo kaJesu kuMathewu 6:33, lapho athi: “Kodwa funani kuqala umbuso kaNkulunkulu nokulunga kwakhe, khona konke lokhu [izidingo zokuphila] kuyakwenezelwa nina.”

‘Bayocabangani abangane bami bakuqala uma ngiyeka isikhundla esicatshangelwa njengesilondekile nesiholela kahle kakhulu?’ Ngazibuza futhi. Kodwa sobabili mina nomkami saqina enhlosweni yethu yokwenza isinqumo esasiyoba ngesilungile kithi, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi abangane bethu bakuqala babengacabangani.

Eminyakeni embalwa ngaphambi kokutadisha kwethu iBhayibheli noFakazi BakaJehova, sasithenge indlu nendawo engamaekaa ayi-120 eduze kwalapho engangikhulele khona eOklahoma. Sasikhulume izikhathi eziningana ngokuthuthela lapho, kodwa asizange senze kanjalo. Ngakho-ke cishe izinyanga eziyisithupha ngemva kokuba ngihlanganyele kulowomhlangano woFakazi BakaJehova ngo-1973, ngasiyeka isikhundla sami ohlelweni lwezomkhathi ngathuthela umkhaya wami ekhaya lethu elisha eOklahoma.

Ukuze “sithole ukudla” ngemva kokuyeka ezohlelo lwasemkhathini, ngahamba ngayosebenzela ifemu encane kagesi, ngihola cishe ingxenye eyodwa yomholo engangiwuthola ngaphambili. Nokho, akubanga yisikhathi eside ngaphambi kokuba ngibhekane nesinye isinqumo esikhulu.

Ngathola ukuthi umsebenzi engangiwenza manje wawuxhumene ngokuqondile nokwenziwa kwezikhali zempi. Ngenxa kanembeza ngangingenakusekela imizamo enjalo futhi ngiphile ngokuvumelana nokushiwo iBhayibheli kuIsaya 2:4 naku-1 Johane 3:11, 12. Ngakho-ke nganquma ukuwuyeka lomsebenzi. Kwadinga isibindi nokholo emandleni kaJehova okusinika izidingo zokuphila. Kodwa, nxa ngibheka emuva, ngingasho ngobuqotho ukuthi mina nomkhaya wami asikaze siswele ukudla okwanele, indawo yokuhlala nokokwembatha.

Iminyaka eyisishiyagalombili isidlule manje kusukela ngenza isinqumo sokuyeka ohlelweni lwezomkhathi. Umkhaya wami kanye nami ngempela uye wabona ubuqiniso balokho iBhayibheli elikushoyo ku-1 Thimothewu 4:8: “Kepha ukumesaba uNkulunkulu kusiza ezintweni zonke, kunesithembiso salokhu kuphila nalokho okuzayo.” Ngempela, ukukhonza uJehova kusinike ukuphila okungcono manje.

Futhi siye sazuza ngokwezimali ngokufunda ukuba ngabanelisekayo ngokwezidingo zokuphila. (1 Thimothewu 6:8) Ngokungafani nesikhundla esihle engike ngaba naso, manje nginomshini wokushayela kovulande engiwusebenzisa mhlawumbe izinsuku ezimbili ngesonto. Lokhu kunginika isikhathi sokuhlanganyela njalo emsebenzini wokushumayela kwasobala, futhi kunginikeza isikhathi esengeziwe sokusichitha nomkhaya wami, engangiwulahlile iminyaka eminingi lapho ngisebenzela uhlelo lwezomkhathi.

Ukukhonza uJehova akuzange kuzisuse ngokuphelele izinkinga zethu belu. Kodwa ngokuqinisekile kusenze sakulungela kahle ukubhekana nazo. Angisazikhathazi ngokuchuma noma ukuba phambili kulelizwe, njengoba manje sengazi ukuthi lesisimiso sezinto simiselwe ukwedlula futhi sithathelwe indawo uhlelo olusha lokulunga olwenziwe nguNkulunkulu.—1 Joh. 2:17; 2 Petru 3:11-13.

Njengoba ngibheka emuva ezinguqukweni esengazenza ekuphileni kwami, ngivumelana ngenhliziyo namazwi kamphostoli uPawulu alotshwe kwabaseFilipi 3:8. Isithunzi sezwe nodumo kufana nezibi nxa kuqhathaniswa nolwazi oluqondile lukaNkulunkulu noKristu, nethemba elimangalisayo lokuphila okuphakade emhlabeni olipharadesi.—Inikelwe nguWendell Marley.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 4]

‘“Inkonyane ka-Apollo isihlalile!” Ngangisizile ekuklameni isimiso esiqondisayo esabeka umuntu wokuqala enyangeni’

[Isithombe ekhasini 5]

‘Umkhaya wami nami uye wabona ngempela ukuthi ukukhonza uJehova kunikeza ukuphila okungcono manje’