Tsiku lina ine ndinalingalira kuti ndinali nditapeza njira yothana nako kuitanako. Ine ndinali kupita kumadzulo kuti ndikagwire ntchito kodyetsera ziweto. Mzanga, Mulungu ndi wamkulu basi kunja uko monga Iyeyo amakhalira pa malo aliwonse. Inu mupindule ndi zimene zinandichitikira ine. Pamene Iye adzakuitaneni inu, mudzamuyankhe Iye.
Mmawa wina wa Seputembala mu chaka cha 1927, ine ndinawauza amayi kuti ine ndinali kupita ulendo wokakhala kwa ndekha ku Tunnel Mill, kumene kuli mamailosi fortini kuchokera ku Jeffersonville kumene ife tinkakhala pa nthawi imeneyo. Ine ndinali nditakonza kale ulendo waku Arizona ndi azimzanga ena. Pamene amayi anga anadzamvanso kwa ine kachiwiri, ine sindinalinso ku Tunnel Mill koma ku Phoenix, Arizona, ndikumuthawa Mulungu wa Chikondi. Moyo wa kodyetsera zinyama unali wabwino kwa kanthawi, koma posakhalitsa unayamba kundikwana, chimodzimodzi ndi chosangalatsa china chirichonse cha mdziko. Koma mundilore ine ndinene pano, Mulungu Alemekezeke, kuti chokuchitikira ndi Yesu chimakula chikukomera komera nthawi zonse ndipo sichimakalamba nkomwe. Yesu amapereka mtendere wangwiro ndi chitonthozo nthawizonse.
Ndi nthawi zambiri zimene ine ndamvapo mphepo ikuwomba kudutsa mmapaini aatali. Izo zinkawoneka ngati kuti ine ndikhoza kumva Liwu Lake likuitana kumeneko mu tchile, likuti, “Adamu, iwe uli kuti?” Nyenyezi zinkawoneka ngati zinali pafupi kwambiri mwakuti iwe ukanakhoza kuzitola izo ndi manja ako. Mulungu ankawoneka kuti anali pafupi kwambiri.
Chinthu chimodzi cha dziko limenelo ndi misewu mchipululu. Ngati iwe ungopatuka mu msewu, iwe umasochera mophweka kwambiri. Nthawi zambiri alendo akawona maluwa pang’ono a mchipululu ndipo akachoka mu msewu kuti akatole iwo. Iwo amangozungulira zungulira mu chipululu ndipo amasochera ndipo nthawizina amafa chifukwa cha ludzu. Kotero ziri chimodzimodzinso ndi njira ya Chikhristu – Mulungu ali nayo njira. Iye amalankhula za iyo mu Yesaya, mutu wa 35. Imeneyo imatchedwa “Njira ya Chiyero.” Nthawi zambiri zosangalatsa pang’ono za dziko lapansi zimakukokera iwe kumbali. Ndiye iwe umataya chokuchitikira chako ndi Mulungu. Mu chipululu pamene iwe wasochera, kumeneko nthawizina kumawoneka madzi onyengeza. Kwa anthu amene akufa ndi ludzu, madzi onyengezawo amakhala mtsinje kapena nyanja. Nthawi zambiri anthu amathamangira zimenezo ndi kulumphira mmenemo nkudzangopeza kuti akusambira mu mchenga wotentha. Nthawizina mdierekezi amakuwonetsa iwe chinachake chimene iye amanena kuti ndi nthawi yabwino. Awo ndi madzi onyenga chabe, icho ndi chinachake chimene sichiri chenicheni. Ngati iwe ungazimvere iwe udzadzipeza wekha ukungodziwunjikira zisoni pa mutu wako. Musamumvere iye, muwerengi wokondedwa. Mukhulupirireni Yesu yemwe amakupatsani inu madzi amoyo kwa iwo amene ali ndi njala ndi ludzu.
Tsiku lina ine ndinalandira kalata yochokera kwathu yondiwuza ine kuti mmodzi wa azichimwene anga anali akudwala kwambiri. Ameneyo anali Edward, wotsatana ndi ine. Kunena moona ine ndinkaganiza kuti sanali atadwalika kwambiri, chotero ine ndinkakhulupirira kuti iye akhala bwino bwino. Koma usiku wina masiku pang’ono kenako pamene ine ndinali kubwera kuchokera ku mzinda pamene ine ndimadutsa pa holo yodyera kodyetsera zinyamako, ine ndinawona pepala pa tebulo. Ine ndinalitenga ilo. Apo panalembedwa, “Bill, ubwere ku msipu wa kumpoto. Zofunikira kwambiri.” Nditatha kuwerenga cholembedwacho mzanga ndi ine tinatuluka kumapita ku msipuwo. Munthu woyamba amene ine ndinakomana naye anali woyang’anira zinyama wachikulire wa Lone Star amene ankagwira ntchito pa malo odyetsera zinyamawo. Dzina lake anali Durfy, koma ife tinkamutcha iye “Pop.” Iye anali ndi mawonekedwe achisoni pankhope pake pamene iye amati, “Billy mnyamata, ine ndiri ndi uthenga woipa kwa iwe.” Pa nthawi imeneyo woyang’anira anabwera akuyenda. Iwo anandiuza ine kuti telegramu inali itangofika kumene, yondiuza ine za imfa ya m’bale wanga.
Wokondedwa mzanga, kwa kamphindi ine sindinathe kusuntha. Iyo inali imfa yoyamba mu banja mwathu. Koma ine ndikufuna kunena kuti chinthu choyamba chimene ine ndinachiganizira chinali ngati iye anali atakonzekera kuti afe. Pamene ine ndinkapotoloka ndi kuyang’ana kudutsa msipu wachikasu, misonzi inali ikutsikira mmasaya anga. Momwe ine ndinakumbukirira momwe ife tinkavutikira limodzi pamene ife tinali ana aang’ono ndi momwe zinkativutira ife.
Ife tinkapita ku sukulu tiribe nkomwe kalikonse koti tikadye. Zala zakuphazi zimakhala panja pa nsapato ndipo ife tinkachita kuvala zikhotho zakale titamangira phinifolo pakhosi chifukwa ife tinalibe shati yoti tivale. Momwe ine ndinakumbukiriranso tsiku lina Amayi anali ndi chimanga cha mbuluwuli mu chibekete chaching’ono kuti tikadye masana. Ife sitinkadya ndi ana enawo. Ife sitimakhoza kupeza chakudya chonga chimene iwo amakhala nacho. Ife nthawizonse tinkazembera ku kachitunda ndi kumakadya. Ine ndikukumbukira tsiku limene ife tinadya chimanga cha mbuluwuli, ife tinaganiza kuti kunali kudya kwenikweni. Chotero pofuna kuti nditsimikize kuti ine ndinatenga zondikwanira za icho, ine ndinatuluka asanafike masana ndipo ndinakatenga zodzadza mdzanja zokwanira m’bale wangayo asanatenge gawo lake.
Ndiye nditaima pamenepo ndikuyang’ana pa msipu wowawulidwa ndi dzuwa uwo ine ndinaganiza za zinthu zonse izo ndipo ndinkadabwa ngati Mulungu anali atamutengera iye ku malo abwino. Ndiye aponso Mulungu amandiitana ine, koma mwa nthawizonse, ine ndinayesera kuti ndizikane izo.
Ine ndinakonzekera kuti ndipite kwathu kukakhala nawo pa maliro. Pamene M’busa McKinny wa Port Fulton Church, mwamuna yemwe ali ngati bambo kwa ine, polalikira pa maliro ake iye anatchulapo zakuti, “Pakhoza kukhalapo ena pano amene sakumudziwa Mulungu, ngati ziri chomwecho, mulandireni Iye tsopano.” O momwe ine ndinagwiritsitsa mpando wanga, Mulungu anali akuchita nane kachiwiri. Wokondedwa muwerengi, pamene Iye azidzakuitanani, mudzamuyankhe Iye.
Ine sindidzaiwala konse momwe Adadi achikulire osauka ndi Amayi analirira atatha malirowo. Ine ndinkafuna kuti ndibwererenso Kumadzulo koma Amayi anandipempha ine molimba kwambiri kuti ndikhale moti ine ndinavomereza kuti ndikhala ngati ndingapeze ntchito. Ine posakhalitsa ndinapeza ntchito ndi a Public Service Company ya ku Indiana.
Patatha pafupifupi zaka ziwiri pamene ndinali kuyeza ma mita mu shopu ya mita ku Gas Works mu New Albany, ine ndinapwetekedwa ndi gasi ndipo kwa masabata anandidwalitsa ine. Ine ndinapita kwa madokotala onse amene ine ndinkawadziwa. Ine sindimapeza chithandizo nkomwe. Ine ndinavutika ndi chidulo cha mmimba, zoyambitsidwa chifukwa cha gasi. Izo zimaipiraipira nthawi zonse. Ine ndinatengedwera kwa akatswiri mu Louisville, Kentucky. Iwowo potsiriza ananena kuti izo zinali kapamba wanga ndipo anati ine ndimayenera kuti andichite opareshoni. Ine sindinazikhulupirire zimenezo chifukwa ine sindimamva ululu cha kumbali yanga. Madokotala anati palibenso china chimene iwo akanandichitira ine pokhapokhapo ine ndikhale ndi opareshoni. Potsiriza ine ndinavomereza kuti achite iyo koma ndinakakamira kuti iwo agwiritse ntchito mankhwala otontholetsa misempha a wamba kuti ine ndiwonerere nawo opareshoniyo.
O, ine ndinkafuna winawake kuti adzaime pambali pa ine yemwe ankamudziwa Mulungu. Ine ndinkakhulupirira mu pemphero koma sindimatha kupemphera. Kotero mtumiki wochokera ku Mpingo wa First Baptist anapita nane ine ku chipinda cha opareshoni.
Pamene iwo anandichotsa ine kuchokera pa tebulo kupita pa bedi langa, ine ndinadzimverera ndekha ndikufookera fookera nthawi yonseyo. Mtima wanga unkavutika kuti ugunde. Ine ndinaimverera imfa pa ine. Mapumidwe anga anali akufupika fupika nthawi zonse. Ine ndinadziwa kuti ine ndinali nditafika pamathero a ulendo wanga. O mzanga udikirire mpaka iwe udzafike pamenepo nthawi yina, ndiye iwe udzaganizira za zinthu zochuluka zimene iwe wazichita. Ine ndinkadziwa kuti ine ndinali ndisanasutepo, kumwa kapena kukhala nazo zizolowezi zoipa zirizonse koma ine ndimadziwa kuti ine ndinali ndisanakonzeke kuti ndikakomane naye Mulungu wanga.
Mzanga ngati iwe wangokhala membala wa mpingo wozizira wofunda chabe, iwe udzadziwa pamene iwe uti udzakafike pamapetopo kuti sindiwe wokonzeka. Kotero ngati izo ziri zokhazo zimene iwe ukudziwa za Mulungu wanga, ine ndikukupempha iwe pomwe pano kuti ugwade pa maondo ako ndipo umupemphe Yesu kuti akupatse iwe chokuchitikira chimenecho cha kubadwa kachiwiri, monga Iye anamuuzira Nikodimo mu Yohane mutu wa 3, ndipo o momwe mabelu achimwemwe ati adzalirire. Matamando ku Dzina Lake.