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Ukuthula ngoSuku Lomama
Insizwa ethile yeza kuJesu yambuza yathi: “Mfundisi, yini enhle okumelwe ngiyenze ukuze ngibe nokuphila okuphakade? Hlonipha uyihlo nonyoko futhi uthande umakhelwane wakho njengoba uzithanda wena” (Mathewu 1).9,16 kanye 19 Ithemba Labantu Bonke).
Kwabaningi bethu, uSuku Lomama yithuba lokugubha uthando phakathi komzali nezingane zabo, kepha kuDeborah Cotton, uSuku Lomama luyohlale luyindaba yohlobo olukhethekile lothando. UDeborah uyintatheli futhi unxusa isikhathi eside ukungabi nodlame nosizo lomphakathi. Uchithe iminyaka eminingi yomsebenzi wakhe esiza abantu ezindaweni ezazincishwe amathuba eNew Orleans yakhe ayithandayo. Konke kuguquke ngoSuku Lomama ngo-2013: Wayengomunye wabantu abangu-20 abalimala ngesikhathi kudutshulwana ngesikhathi kunombukiso. Ngesikhathi amalungu amabili egenge evulela ngenhlamvu esixukwini sabantu abangenacala, uDeborah washaywa esiswini; inhlamvu yalimaza izitho zakhe ezithile ezibalulekile.
Wasinda ekusebenzeni okungamashumi amathathu kodwa uzobuna izibazi; isikhumbuzi sezindleko eziphezulu zenkonzo yabo emphakathini. Ngabe usuku lukaMama lwaluzosho ukuthini kuwe manje? Wayebhekene nokukhetha kokukhumbula inkumbulo embi yalolo suku nobuhlungu obabuzayo, noma ukuguqula usizi lwakhe lube into enhle ngokuxolela nothando. UDeborah wakhetha indlela yothando. Wafinyelela kulowo owamdubula wamvakashela ejele. Wayefuna ukuzwa indaba yakhe futhi aqonde ukuthi kungani ayenza kabi kangaka. Kusukela ekuvakasheni kwakhe kokuqala, uDeborah usize uSagittarius ukuthi ashintshe impilo yakhe futhi abheke ekuguqukeni kwakhe ngokomoya ebudlelwaneni bakhe noNkulunkulu.
Njengoba ngizwa le ndaba emangalisayo, angikwazanga ukuzibamba kodwa ngicabanga ngothando olushintsha impilo loMsindisi wethu. NjengoDebora, uthwele izibazi zothando, isikhumbuzo saphakade sezindleko zemisebenzi yakhe yokuhlenga isintu. Umprofethi u-Isaya uyasikhumbuza: “Wahlatshwa ngenxa yezono zethu. Wajeziswa ngenxa yezono zethu - futhi thina? Manje sinokuthula noNkulunkulu! Ngemivimbo yakhe siphilisiwe thina.”—Isaya 53,5 Ithemba labo bonke).
Futhi into emangalisayo? Lokhu uJesu wakwenza ngokuzithandela. Ngaphambi kokuba ashone, wayebazi ubuhlungu azobubekezelela. Esikhundleni sokufulathela, iNdodana kaNkulunkulu engenasono ngokuzithandela yathatha zonke izindleko zokulahla nokuqeda zonke izono zesintu, ibuyisane nathi noNkulunkulu futhi isikhulule ebubini, ukufa kwaphakade. Wacela ubaba wakhe ukuthi abaxolele amadoda ayembethele! Uthando lwakhe alunamngcele! Kuyakhuthaza ukubona izimpawu zokubuyisana kanye nokuguqula uthando zisakazeka emhlabeni wanamuhla ngabantu abanjengoDeborah. Ukhethe uthando kunokwahlulela, ukuthethelelwa kunesijeziso. NgoSuku Lomama oluzayo sonke singakhuthazwa yisibonelo sakhe: Wathembela kuJesu Kristu, wamlandela, wagijimela ukwenza lokho akwenza, ukuthanda.
nguJoseph Tkach
