Ngenye imini ndagqiba ukuba ndandiyifumene indlela yokwahlukana nolwabizo. Ndandisiya entshona ukuya kusebenza kwifama enkulu. Sihlobo, uThixo mkhulu phandle phaya ngohlobo olunye Alulo nakweyiphi indawo. Wanga ungahluma ngamava am. Xa ekubiza, mphendule Yena.
Ngenye intsasa kaSeptemba kunyaka ka 1927, ndaxelela umama ukuba ndandisiya kwiholide yasezindle eTunnel Mill, leyo imalunga neemayile ezilishumi elinesine ukusuka eJeffersonville apho sasihlala khona ngelo xesha. Ndandisele ndicwangcisele uhambo oluya e-Arizona kunye nabahlobo abathile. Xa umama weva kum kwakhona, ndindingekho eTunnel Mill kodwa ePhoenix, e-Arizona, ndibaleka ukumka kuThixo woThando. Ubomi kwifama enkulu babumnandi kakhulu okwexeshana, kodwa kwamsinyane baguga, njengabo bonke nabuphina ubumnandi behlabathi. Kodwa ndingakutsho na apha, Makabongwe uThixo, ngokuba amava ngoYesu akhula ngobumnandi nobumnandi lonke ixesha kwaye awasokuze aguge. UYesu unika uxolo olugqibeleleyo nentuthuzelo okokoko.
Amaxesha amaninzi ndivile umoya ubhudla kwimithi emikhulu. Bekukhangeleka ngokungathi ndingaliva iZwi Lakhe libiza kude phaya emahlathini, lisithi, “Adam, uphi na?” Inkwenkwezi zikhangeleka zikufuphi kakhulu de ube nokuzichola ngesandla sakho. UThixo ukhangeleka ekufutshane kakhulu.
Inye ingxaki malunga nela lizwe zindlela entlango. Ukuba ukhe waphuma endleleni, ulahleka lula. Amaxesha amaninzi abatyeleli babuka intyantyambo ezincinci zasentlango baze baphume ecaleni endleleni ephakamileyo ukuya kuzikha. Babhadule entlango baze balahleke kwaye maxa wambi bafe lunxano. Kunjalo nakwindlela yobuKristu – uThixo yindlela ephakamileyo. UThetha ngayo ku Isaya, yesahluko sama-35. Ibizwa “Indlela ephakamileyo yobuNgcwele.” Amaxa amaninzi ubumnandi belizwe buyakutsalela ecaleni bukukhuphe kwindlela ephakamileyo. Uze ulahlekelwe ngamava akho noThixo. Entlango xa ulahlekile, phaya ngamaxa athile kubonakala inkohliso. Ebantwini abafayo lunxano, inkohliso iyakuba ngumlambo okanye ichibi. Ngamaxa amaninzi babalekela kuwo baze baqhatheka bafumane ukuba bantyumpa-ntyumpeka entlabathini eshushu. Ngamanye amaxa umtyholi ukubonisa athi lixesha elimnandi. Oko yinkohliso nje, iyinto engeyonto yenene. Ukuba uyamamela uyakuzifumana ufumba iinkxwaleko entlokweni yakho. Sukummamela yena, mfundi othandekayo. Kholelwa uYesu okunika amanzi angawokuphila kwabo abalambileyo nabanxaniweyo.
Ngenye imini ndafumana imbhalelwano esuka ekhaya indixelela ukuba omnye wabantakwethu wayegula kakhulu. Yayingu Edward, ondelekelayo. Kakade zange ndiyithathela ngqalelo, ngoko ndakholelwa ukuba uyakuphila. Kodwa ngobunye ubusuku kwiintsuku ezimbalwa kamva xa ndandibuya edolophini njengoko ndandigqitha kwiholo lokudlela kwifama enkulu, ndabona iphepha phezu kwetafile. Ndalithabatha. Ndalifunda, “Bill, yiza ngaphandle kwidlelo lasentla. Ibalulekile kakhulu.” Emva kokuba ndiwufundile umbhalo mna nomhlobo sahamba saya ngaphandle edlelweni. Umntu wokuqala endadibana naye yayiyendala iLone Star Ranger eyayisebenza kwifama enkulu. Igama layo yayinguDurfy, kodwa sasimbiza ngo “Pop.” Wayenenkangeleko embi ebusweni bakhe njengoko wathi, “Billy nkwenkwe, ndineendaba ezimbi ngawe.” Ngelo xesha umphathi emsebenzini wahamba weza. Bandixelela ukuba ucingo belisandula ukufika, lindixelela ngokufa komntwakwethu.
Sihlobo esithandekayo, okwethutyana ndandingakwazi ukushukuma. Yayikukufa kokuqala kwikhaya lethu. Kodwa ndifuna ukutsho ukuba into yokuqala endacinga ngayo yeyokuba ingaba wayekulungele ukufa. Njengoko ndandijika ndijonga ukunqumleza ithafa elityheli, iinyembezi zehla ngezidlele. Indlela endandikhumbula uhlobo esasisokolo sobabini xa sasisengamakhwenkwana nohlobo ekwakuyiyo ukubanzima kuthi.
Sasisiya esikolweni kunzima nokuba sibe nokutya okwaneleyo. Inzwane zazingaphandle kwezihlangu kwaye kwakufuneka sinxibe iidyasi ezindala eziqhotyoshelwe entanyeni kuba sasingenazihempe ngaphantsi. Indlela endikhumbula ngayo futhi ngenye imini uMama weyenamaqhashu kwibhakethi elincinci ukwenzela isidlo sasemini. Sasingatyi kunye nabanye abantwana. Sasingakwazi ukuba sibe nokutya okunjeya. Sasisoloko sisiya kusithela ngaphaya kwenduli ukuya kutya. Ndikhumbula ngemini sasinamaqhashu, sasicinga yayiyeyona nto imnandi. Ngoko ukuqinisekisa ukuba ndifumana umlinganiselo wam kuwo, ndaphuma phambi kwemva kwemini ndakha esikhulu isandla esigcweleyo ngaphambi kokuba umntakwethu afumane isaxa sakhe.
Emva koko ndimi phaya ndijonge kwelathafa libharhiswe lilanga dacinga ngezo zinto ndaza ndazibuza ingaba uThixo umthabathele kwindawo engcono. Kwaze kwakhona uThixo wandibiza, kodwa ngokwesiqhelo, ndazama ukuyilwa ndiyichase.
Ndalungiselela ukubuyela ekhaya ukuya esingcwabeni. Xa Umfu. McKinny weBandla iPort Fulton, indoda enjengotata kum, washumayela emngcwabeni wakhe wachaphazela ukuba, “Kungaba kukho abanye apha abangamaziyo uThixo, ukuba kunjalo, mamkele Yena ngoku.” Owu indlela endatshela ngayo esitulweni sam, uThixo wayesebenza kwakhona. Mfundi othandekayo, xa Ebiza, sabela kuYe.
Andisokuze ndilibale indlela omdala ohlupekileyo uTata noMama abalila ngayo emva kwesingcwabo. Ndandifuna ukubuyela eNtshona kodwa uMama wandibongoza kanzima ukuba ndihlale de ndavuma ukuhlala ukuba ndingafumana umsebenzi. Ngokukhawuleza ndawufumana umsebenzi kwiKampani yeNkonzo Yoluntu yase Indiana.
Malunga neminyaka emibini emva koko ngelixa ndandihlola imeters kwivekile yemeters kwiNdawo yeGesi eNew Albany, ndahlaselwa yigesi kwaye ndagula yiyo iiveki. Ndaya kubo bonke oogqirha endibaziyo. Ndandingafumani siqabu. Ndandigula yi-asidi yesisu, esibangelwa kokusuka kwigesi. Yaye ikhula isiba mbi lonke ixesha. Ndathatyathwa ndasiwa kwingcaphephe eLouisville, Kentucky. Bagqiba ngelithi yayikukudumba kwethumbu baze bathi kwakufanele ndenze utyando. Andizange ndikholelwe kuba zange ndibe nazintlungu kwicala lam. Oogqirha bathi abanakundenzela nto ngaphezulu ndide ndenze utyando. Ekugqibeleni ndavuma ukuba lwenziwa kodwa ndanyanzelisa ukuba basebenzise isilalisi salapho ukuze ndibenakho ukulubukela utyando.
Owu, ndandifuna umntu othile ame ecaleni kwam omaziyo uThixo. Ndandikholelwa kumthandazo kodwa ndingenakho ukuthandaza. Ke umlungiseleli osuka kwiBandla iFirst Baptist waya nam kwigumbi lokutyandwa.
Xa bandisusayo etafileni ukundisa ebhedini yam, ndaziva ndisiya ndisiba buthathaka ngoba buthathaka lonke ixesha. Intliziyo yam yayingabonkalisi kubetha. Ndava ukufa kuphezu kwam. Ukuphefumla kwam kwakusiya kusiba ncinci lonke ixesha. Ndandisazi ukuba ndifike kwisiphelo sendlela yam. Owu sihlobo linda ude ufike phaya kube kanye, ngoko uyakucinga ngezinto ezininzi ozenzileyo. Ndandisazi ukuba zange ndatshaya, ndasela okanye ndaba nemikhuba engcolileyo kodwa ndandisazi ukuba ndandingakulungelanga ukuhlangana noThixo.
Sihlobo ukuba ulelibandayo elomileyo ilungu lecawa, uyakwazi xa ufika ekugqibeleni ukuba akukulungelanga. Ke ukuba oko kuko konke okwaziyo malunga noThixo, ndiyakucela kanye apha ukuba uguqe ngamadolo akho uze ucele uYesu akunike la mava okuzalwa ngokutsha, njengoko Wamxelelayo uNikodimo kuYohane isahluko sesi-3, kwaye owu indlela iintsimbi zovuyo ezikhencezayo zikhala ngayo. Malibongwe iGama Lakhe.