Isandla SikaJehova Besilokhu Sinathi

Njengoba ilandiswa uSimon Kraker

“BABA, luhlobo luni lomsebenzi okumelwe ngiluthathe?”

“Nokho, Simon, cabangisisa kahle ngalendaba ngoba ngeke ngikwenzele isinqumo.”

“Yebo, Baba, kodwa ngokuhlangenwe nakho kwakho uzokwazi kangcono!”

“Mhlawumbe, Simon. Miningi imisebenzi engacatshangelwa, futhi yonke ibonakala ikhanga, kodwa imuphi ozokwenza ujabule kakhulu?”

“Ngiyezwa, Baba. Ngiye ngacabanga ngomculo, umdanso weballet, ukuba ngumbukisi, ubudokotela, nobupristi. Nginesithakazelo kuyo yonke.”

Manje, ikuphi owawuyokukhetha? Iyiphi indlela owawuyoyithatha? Emuva lé ekuqaleni kwawo-1920, kukhona okwenzeka emkhayeni wakithi okwaba nomphumela obalulekile ekukhetheni kwami umsebenzi. Ake nginilandise khona.

Abazali bami, uMary noJoseph, bobabili bazalelwa eAustria, kodwa bahlangana futhi bashada eUnited States. Ngaphambi kokuthuthela eUnited States, uBaba wayesehambe kakhulu kulo lonke elaseYurophu njengomdlali wecilongo oyingcweti. Ngakho-ke, waqikelela ukuthi bonke abantwana bakhe abayisishiyagalombili bangabi nje kuphela nemfundo enhle yasesikoleni kodwa futhi bathole neyomculo. Ivayolini yaba yingxenye yami emkhayeni wakithi ongabashayi bezigubhu nezinye izinto ezikhalayo.

NjengamaRoma Katolika, uMama noBaba babethanda ukuba sonke sikhuliswe kahle ngokwenkolo. Ngikhumbula iBhayibheli lamaKatolika esasinalo ekhaya. Lalilikhulu, lihlotshiswe ngesiphambano segolide oqwembeni lwalo olukhulu, futhi lalibhalwe ngesiJalimane esidala. Ngase ngijwayelene kakhulu nalo kangangokuthi ngase ngiliqaphela ngokuyinhloko iBhayibheli njengeZwi likaNkulunkulu.

Ekuqaleni kwawo-1920, amapheshana amahhala ayenikezwa ngenye inkolo ngaphambi kweSonto lethu likaZiqu-zintathu Ongcwele edolobheni laseCleveland, eOhio. Sonke sasiwathatha siye nawo ekhaya futhi siwaqhathanise neBhayibheli lethu. Ayekhishwa abaFundi BeBhayibheli, njengoba oFakazi BakaJehova babaziwa kanjalo ngalesosikhathi. Elinye ipheshana engilikhumbula ngokuyinhloko ngenxa yokuthi lenza uMama wajabula lalikhuluma ngesimo sabafileyo. Washonelwa amadodana akhe amabili eseyizinsana. Kulelipheshana, wafunda ukuthi babengaphili endaweni yabanqatshelwe ukungena ezulwini noma bengahlupheki esihlanzweni noma esihogweni kodwa babengezwa lutho ethuneni, belindele uvuko. (UmShumayeli 9:5, 10; Johane 11:24, 25) Yeka induduzo lokhu okungayilethanga kuMama kuphela, kodwa kithi sonke!

Ukukhetha

Amaqiniso angokomBhalo ayeya ngokukhanya njengoba abaFundi BeBhayibheli (Bibelforscher) ababekhuluma isiJalimane babevakashela ekhaya. Njengoba sasithola ulwazi olwengeziwe lweBhayibheli, sazithola sihlukana ngokwengeziwe nenkolo yethu yokuzalwa yamaKatolika. Lokhu kwaphakamisa inkinga kimi. Ngaqanjwa ngokuthi nginguSimon mhla ngizalwa, ngokuthi uPeter mhla ngibhapathizwa, nangokuthi uJoseph mhla ngiqiniswa. Ngase ngiwumfana okhonza ealtare, sengifunde imithandazo yesiLatini namaMisa, futhi ngase ngenze imisebenzi ehlukahlukene engokwenkolo. Abazali bami babenethemba lokuthi ngangingaba umpristi, futhi ukuzimisela kwami kwakuwukuhlanganyela ngokugcwele ekuphileni okungokwenkolo.

Nokho, ngazithola ngiphelelwa isithakazelo kancane kancane ngamathemba omsebenzi enganginawo ekuqaleni. Inkinga yami kwakungasekhona ukuthi ngingabajabulisa kanjani abantu, ngibe ngumuntu odumile obukisa ngomzimba, noma ngibe udokotela. Kunalokho, yini engangingayenza ukuba ngisize abanye ngokomoya? Angizange ngiphinde ngibone ubupristi bamaRoma Katolika buyimpendulo yami.

Isithakazelo sabazali bami nomsebenzi kwaphendukela ‘ezindabeni ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu’ njengoba zazimenyezelwa abaFundi BeBhayibheli, futhi kwaba ngokufanayo ngami. (Mathewu 24:14, NW) Ngo-1924 uMama noBaba baqala ukushumayela “izindaba ezinhle” endlini ngendlu, futhi ngahamba nabo. Eminyakeni emibili kamuva, lapho ngase ngineminyaka eyi-12, uBaba waqaphela ukuthi ngangingashumayela ngingedwa. Khona-ke wanginikeza iBhayibheli elingena ephaketheni ukuba ngilisebenzise emsebenzini wami wobuvangeli. Ngaphambi kokuba ngithole iziqu esikoleni esiphakeme ngo-1929, ngenza isinqumo sokuba ngizinikezele kuNkulunkulu.

Izenzakalo Ezikhumbulekayo Ezingokwasezulwini

Njengoba ngicabanga emuva eminyakeni engaphezu kwengama-60 kusukela umkhaya wakithi waqala ukuhlanganyela ekushumayeleni ngoMbuso, ngiqaphela ukuthi siye sadlula ezenzakalweni eziningi ezikhumbulekayo ekuqhubekeleni phambili nenhlangano kaNkulunkulu ebonakalayo. Ngokwesibonelo, ngo-1925 iThe Watch Tower yakhipha isihloko esithi “Ukuzalwa Kwesizwe.” Ngakujabulela ukwazi ukuthi uJehova uqoqela ndawonye abantu abaqotho bazo zonke izizwe ukuba babe abantu bakhe. Lelophuzu elingokomBhalo langihlaba umxhwele ngempela! Ngani? Ngoba endaweni yakithi, ukubandlululana kwamaJuda nabantu abamnyama kwakukukhulu ngalesosikhathi. Kodwa isizwe sikaNkulunkulu sikhululekile kuwo wonke amandla ahlukanisayo—ubuzwe, ezombangazwe, ezentengiselwano, ezempi, nokuhlukana kwezenkolo. (IzEnzo 10:34, 35) Yeka indlela okwakujabulisa ngayo ukufunda ngencazelo yesiprofetho sikaIsaya isahluko 66 nokubona ukugcwaliseka kwaso osukwini lwami!

Umhlangano wesigodi wango-1928, waseDetroit, eMichigan, wawungesinye isenzakalo esingokwasezulwini esikhumbulekayo emkhayeni wakithi. Lokho kwakunjalo ngenxa yezizathu ezimbili. Kwakuwumhlangano wokuqala abazali bami abaya kuwo. Futhi, lapho bebuyela ekhaya, thina njengabantwana sathinteka ngokujulile lapho umdlandla wabo wenjabulo ngokwenza okwengeziwe enkonzweni kaJehova wawuchichima.—Roma 12:11.

Khona-ke ngo-1931 inhlangano kaJehova yayinezindaba ezijabulisayo ngathi. Sathola igama elisha elithi—oFakazi BakaJehova. Yeka ilungelo elingavamile, lokuphatha igama likaNkulunkulu phambi kwabantu nezingelosi!—Isaya 43:10-12.

Angisoze ngawukhohlwa unyaka ka-1935, lapho ukwahlukaniseka kahle ‘kwezinye izimvu’ ‘nesixuku esikhulu’ kwakhanya khona. (Johane 10:16; IsAmbulo 7:9) Lokhu kwasiza abantu abaningi—kuhlanganise nami—ukuba bathathe isinyathelo sokubhapathizwa. Ubhapathizo lwalungazange lugcizelelwe ezinsukwini zami zokuqala eqinisweni. Njengoba kakade ngase ngikunikezele ukuphila kwami kuJehova uNkulunkulu, ngabona manje ukuthi kwakufanelekile ukuba ngibonakalise lokho kuzinikezela ngobhapathizo lwamanzi.

Unyaka ka-1938 wawungowokuhleleka kabusha okungokwasezulwini. Ngaphambi kwalesosikhathi, kwakunendawo eyodwa kuphela okwakuhlanganyelwa kuyo yoFakazi bakaJehova eCleveland—iHholo Lonjiniyela, elalisetshenziswa iqembu labakhuluma isiJalimane, isiPolish, isiNgisi, namanye. Ngemva kuka-1938 inhlangano kaNkulunkulu yahlela ukuba amabandla amiswe ezingxenyeni ezihlukahlukene zedolobha. UBaba nabanye abafowethu bamiswa njengezinceku ebandleni. Isabelo sami sasiwukuphatha umagazini.

Unyaka ka-1939 waletha esinye isenzakalo esingokomlando esasiza ukuqinisa ukholo lwami kuJehova nasenhlanganweni yakhe ebonakalayo. Nokho, njengoba impi yayisondela, iThe Watchtower yakhipha isihloko esithi “Ukungathathi-hlangothi.” Kulesihloko, ngakwazi ukuqaphela ukuthi abantu bakaNkulunkulu kwakumelwe babe nokuthula nawo wonke umuntu, ngisho naphakathi kokusongela kwempi. Ngiyabonga ngokuthi, lokhu kwangihlomisela izikhathi ezinzima okwase kuseduze ukuba ngibhekane nazo.

Futhi ngo-1939 ngaya eDolobheni laseNew York okokuqala. Lapho ngezwa umongameli wesibili weWatch Tower Society, uJ. F. Rutherford. ekhuluma eMadison Square Garden. Izitha ezingokwenkolo, ezilinganiselwa kwezingama-500, zazama ukuwuphazamisa lowomhlangano ngamazwi azo ayiziswana njengoba uMzalwane uRutherford ayekhuluma. Kodwa konke lokhu akuphumelanga. Waqhubeka waze waphetha, futhi izilaleli zananela ngehlombe elikhulu elibonisa injabulo.

Okusenhliziyweni yami nokusekusha engqondweni yami umhlangano wezizwe wango-1942 owaqhutshelwa endaweni yakithi, eCleveland. Inkulumo yeningi eyamenyezelwa kabanzi yayithi “Ukuthula—Ingabe Kungahlala Njalo?” Kwanikezwa ubufakazi obungokomBhalo obubonisa ukuthi noma ikuphi ukuthula okwenziwe umuntu kwesikhathi esizayo ngeke kuhlale njalo.

Ukuvivinywa Kokholo

Kwakungaleso sikhathi lapho ukholo lwami lwavivinywa khona ngokungathathi-hlangothi. Ngangingumphathi wengxenye ephathelene nezinsimbi zezimoto enkampanini yezimoto iGeneral Motors. Babengivumele ukuba ngisebenze ngezikhathi ezithile, lokho okwangenza ngakwazi ukubeka umsebenzi wami kuqala njengomfundisi. Kodwa njengoba isivunguvungu sempi sasidlanga futhi manje sihilela iUnited States, ingabe ngangizohlanganyela eziphithiphithini noma ngangizovuma ukufakwa empini ngenxa yomsebenzi wami wokuziphilisa? Akukho engakukhetha. Ngangiyisikhonzi esimisiwe futhi nganginelungelo elingokomthetho lokuba ngingayi kwezempi ngenxa yalesosizathu. Nokho, iSelective Service Board yenqaba.

LeBhodi yasikisela: “Ungaya empini futhi ukhonze khona njengomfundisi.” “Cha,” ngiphendula. “Isizathu sami ngenxa kanembeza siwukuthi ngiyisikhonzi sevangeli, futhi ngiye nganikela ukuphila kwami kulowomsebenzi.”

“Kodwa ungakwenza lokho nasempini.”

Ngathi, “Cha. Ngingakhonza kuphela abantu engikanye nabo ‘ngezindaba ezinhle’ njengoba zitholakala eBhayibhelini.”

Icala lami ladlulela enkantolo ephakeme. ENkantolo Yamazwe ngaveza ukuthi ubaba wabaleka eAustria weza eUnited States ngenxa yezinkolelo zakhe ezingokwenkolo ezingahambisani nokuphatha izikhali nokuba yingxenye yezempi.

Ijaji lathi, “Kodwa akunakudingeka ukuba ulwe. Ngesizinda sakho nangokuqeqeshwa kwakho, uyoba ngumfundisi omuhle wamabutho, nsizwa.”

“Nkosi yenkantolo,ngingakwenza kanjani lokho? Uma ngenxa kanembeza ngingenakuziphatha izikhali, ngingabakhuthaza kanjani abanye ukuba benze kanjalo?”

Ukuphila Kwasejele

Naphezu kobufakazi obulotshiwe bokuba kwami isikhonzi sevangeli, ekwindla ka-1943 ngagwetshwa iminyaka emihlanu ejele lamazwe laseLewisburg, ePennsylvania. Nokho, kwakungemina ngedwa uFakazi eLewisburg, ngoba kwakunabanye abazalwane abangama-50 ababelapho. Ngesikhathi engakhululwa ngaso, inani lase linyukile cishe laba ama-200.

Ijele lalithathe indawo engaphezu kwamahektare angama-400. Phakathi kwamagceke alo kwakunezakhiwo ezazihlala ababulali abayingozi kakhulu, ikamu lepulazi kwakungeleziboshwa ezithenjiwe, nendawo lapho abalindi, nezinye izikhulu zejele zazihlala khona. OFakazi ngokuvamile babebabela ekamu lepulazi. Umsebenzi wami wawuwukuhambisa iziboshwa ngemoto ezazisebenza ekamu lepulazi lapho ziya futhi zibuya ezindaweni ezisebenza kuzo.

Ekufikeni kwami, imihlangano yethu engokwenkolo nezincwadi zazingavunyelwe. Nokho sasiwuthola njalo umagazini INqabayokulinda. Kwakwenzeka kanjani lokhu? Izivakashi ezithile ezazihamba zidlula engxenyeni yegceke enamapulangwe ziya emzini nasezakhiweni zejele zaziwisa ngokuhlakanipha omagazini emgwaqweni ababesesikhwameni sephepha. Mina noma omunye umzalwane wayeza futhi athole isikhwama bese edlulisela okuphakathi kwabanye abazalwane. Enye indlela esasithola ngayo izincwadi kwakungomusa womunye umlindi owayehlala emzini. Wayeshiya amaphephandaba amadala emphemeni wendlu yakhe. Lapho isikhathi sokucosha amaphephandaba sifika, ngokuvamile sasithola omagazini bethu bephakathi kwamaphepha amadala. Kamuva, umlindi wasivumela isicelo sethu sokuba sibe nemihlangano njalo futhi sithole izincwadi zeBhayibheli.

Ngolunye usuku lapho ngehlisa iqembu lezisebenzi engadini yomlindi, ngethuka kakhulu. Ezimpahleni zami, ngangifihle incwadi yeNhlangano ethi Iqiniso Liyakunikulula. Lapho izisebenzi zazenza umsebenzi wokusika nokunquma, ngahlala elolini futhi ngokuqaphelisisa ngakhipha incwadi. Kodwa cabanga ngokwethuka kwami lapho intombazane encane yomlindi igxumela ngemva kwami ithi, “Wa! Ufundani?”

Njengoba yangibamba oqotsheni nezincwadi okwakufanele ngempela ukuba zazishiywe esitokisini, ngayitshela ukuthi kwakuyincwadi echaza iBhayibheli. Yathanda ukwazi ngisho nangokwengeziwe njengoba ngangiyikhombisa omunye wemifanekiso yencwadi. Kwakungowendoda eyayikhotheme, ikhulula amaketanga ezinyaweni zayo. Ngathi, “abantu abaningi banjalo. Babopheke emibonweni yenkolo engamanga, futhi uJesu uthanda ukubakhulula ngoba wathi: ‘Iqiniso liyakunikhulula.’”—Johane 8:32.

Ngosuku olulandelayo unina wathi: “Simon, indodakazi yami ingitshele konke ebenikuxoxa nayo ngeBhayibheli nangencwadi oyibonise yona. Ihlabeke umxhwele kakhulu, futhi kuye kwezwakala kuthakazelisa nakimi.” Ngokujabulisayo, isenzakalo esimangalisayo saholela emiphumeleni emihle.

Ngadonsa isikhathi esingaphansi kwengxenye yesikhathi engangigwetshwe sona ejele. Ngemva kokukhululwa kwami ngo-1946, ngaphinde futhi ngahlanganyela masinyane ohlwini lwezikhonzi ezingamaphayona esikhathi esigcwele.

Inkonzo YaseBethel

UMhlangano OngokwaseZulwini Wezizwe Ezithokozayo, owaqhutshelwa eCleveland ngo-1946, wawungesinye isenzakalo esibalulekile ekuphileni kwami. Kulapho lapho ngafaka khona isicelo sokuza eBethel—inkonzo yesikhathi esigcwele endlunkulu yeWatchtower Society eBrooklyn, eNew York.

Abameleli ababili beNhlangano, uMzalwane uMilton Henschel noRobert Morgan, banikeza incazelo emfushane ngenkonzo yaseBethel base bexoxa nalabo ababekhona. Ngabonana nabo ngokungabaza. Nokho, lapho ingxoxo kanye nabo isiqalisiwe, ngabathola benomusa kakhulu futhi bezibeke phansi.

“Kungani uthanda ukukhonza eBethel?” omunye walabazalwane wabuza.

“Ngenza konke okusemandleni ami enkonzweni kaJehova njengephayona,” ngaphendula. “Kodwa uma ngingaya eBethel, ngiyaqiniseka ngingenza okwengeziwe.”

Omunye wathi, “Uma uza eBethel, ngokuqinisekile uyokwenza okwengeziwe.”

Wayeqinisile! Kusukela osukwini lwami lokuqala eBethel, ngoFebruary 18, 1947, ngiye ngathola inkonzo lapha ithakazelisa kakhulu futhi izuzisa. Ngibonga uJehova nsuku zonke ngokuthi isandla sakhe sangiqondisa kulelilungelo elihle lenkonzo.—2 Thesalonika 3:5.

Ubufakazi Bomoya KaNkulunkulu Esiye Sabubona

Ngemva kweminyaka engama-45 ngingashadile ngenxa yoMbuso, ngamthola “umfazi ofanelekayo” uGrace Suiter, khona lapha eBethel yaseBrooklyn. (IzAga 31:10, NW) Wafika eBethel evela eMidwest ngo-1939, nakuba yena nomkhaya wakubo bathola iqiniso eCalifornia.a Kusukela ekushadeni kwethu ngo-1959, siye sathola ukuthi isandla sikaJehova sinalabo abamthandayo nabamkhonza ngokwethembeka.

Mina noGrace wami othandekayo sivela ezizindeni ezifanayo ngezindlela eziningi. Sobabili sazalwa ngo-1914, yomibili imikhaya yethu yayifuna iqiniso elingokwenkolo, futhi sobabili saqala ukuhlanganyela ngentshiseko nabazali bethu ekushumayeleni endlini ngendlu sineminyaka efanayo—eyi-12. Ngaphezu kwalokho, njengombhangqwana oshadile osenkonzweni yaseBethel, yeka injabulo okuyiyo ukubona ndawonye ukuzinikela kwenhlangano kaNkulunkulu ngesibindi ekuqhubeleni umsebenzi wokufakaza “ekugcineni komhlaba”!—IzEnzo 1:8.

Ingabe sinokuzisola okuthile ngokuzihlela ngaphansi kwesandla sikaNkulunkulu? Akunjalo ngoGrace! “Asizange sicebe ngezinto ezibonakalayo ngokukhonza lapha eBethel,” kusho uGrace. “Nokho ukuphila kwethu kuye kwaceba ngendlela engapheli. Nakuba singazalanga bantwana, ngokuqinisekile sinabaningi abangokomoya.”

Nami angizisoli! Ukukhetha kwethu ukudumisa uJehova enkonzweni yesikhathi esigcwele kuye kwaba ngokuhle kakhulu. Siye saphila konke ukuphila sinenjongo enhle, siyakubonga ukuba “phansi kwesandla sikaNkulunkulu esinamandla.”—1 Petru 5:6.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 23]

Abazali bami, uJoseph noMary

[Isithombe ekhasini 25]

USimon nomkakhe, uGrace