ITHEMBA EKULINDENI

Ngu-Priya Ramsaran

“Ngokuba sisindisiwe ngalelithemba; Kodwa ithemba elibonwayo alilona ithemba nhlobo. Obani abathemba lokho asebenakho? Kepha uma sithemba lokho esingakabi nakho, sikulinda ngokubekezela.”— Roma 8:24-25 (NIV)

Wake wazizwa sengathi awukwazi ukulawula isimo futhi uvalo luqala ukukugubuzela? Ngonyaka odlule, ubaba waphuthunyiswa esibhedlela esesimweni sokuquleka. Ngangazi ukuthi kwakukubi lapho umama esho lawo mazwi asabekayo, “Akalulami kahle.” Imizwelo yami yaqala ukufutheka futhi umthandazo wami wawuthi, “Nkosi ngicela umsindise!” 

Ngesikhathi izimpilo zethu zihlangabezana nenhlekelele, ukudumala, noma ukulahlekelwa, kuba sobala ukuthi sidinga ithemba—njengalokhu esibhekene nakho manje phakathi nalolu bhubhane. Sidinga ithemba lokuqhubeka futhi siphumelele kukho konke esibhekene nakho. Kulula ukulahlekelwa yithemba ngenxa yendawo esizungezile noma umphumela owesabekayo. Asidingi ithemba lapho izinto zizinhle, kodwa kunalokho lapho izinto zinzima futhi zingaqinisekile.

Ngiyayithanda indlela uPawulu asitshela ngayo kuqala ukuthi sisindiswe ngaleli themba. Ubuphakade bethu buqina uma sibeka ithemba lethu kuJesu, okulithemba elikhulu nomphumela. Lokho kulondeka kusenza sibe nesibindi sokubhekana nanoma yisiphi isimo, ngisho nalapho kuvela ukukhathazeka, isizungu, noma ukudangala. Lesi isisekelo sokholo lwethu. 

Cishe njalo ekuseni ingane yami eneminyaka emibili iya ngaphandle egcekeni lethu futhi ithathe amatshe endaweni yethu. Uwabeka emibhoshongweni emincane emihle. Swaashiya lapho, futhi aba isikhumbuzo sokuba khona kwakhe nemisebenzi yezandla. Ngokufanayo, sidinga inqwaba yethemba ezimpilweni zethu ukuze sikwazi ukubheka emuva ezindabeni zethu zethemba, lapho uNkulunkulu wethu omkhulu ebonakala, futhi sabelane ngalezi zikhathi ezinhle zethemba nabanye. Kukhuthaza abanye ukuba babone isandla sikaNkulunkulu ekuphileni kwethu, futhi kwakha imibhoshongo emikhulu yokholo. 

Kodwa kuthiwani ngalezo zinto ezingakaxazululwa ezimpilweni zethu ezingakabi nayo impendulo noma isiphetho? Silinda kanjani futhi isikhathi esingakanani? Lena ingxenye yesineke yevesi okufanele isebenze. Ukubekezela yikhono lokwamukela, ukubekezelela, kanye nokubambezela izinkinga noma ukuhlupheka ngaphandle kokuthukuthela noma ukucasuka. Kudinga ukuzijwayeza nokuphindaphinda ukukulungisa. Ukubekezela akugcini nje. Kufanele sigcine amehlo ethu egxile kuJesu futhi sizizungeze eZwini Lakhe lapho sizothola khona izithembiso Zakhe zethemba ukuze simethembe ngenqubo, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi isikhathi sini.

Kwaphela izinyanga ngivakashela ubaba esibhedlela. Kwadingeka ngikhulule ukulawula futhi ngibonise isineke esikhulu. Lapho ekugcineni efika ekhaya, ngabona ukuthi ithemba lidinga ukholo olukhulu, ukulinda, nokubekezela. 

Mhlawumbe udinga ithemba. Ungakhathali ekulindeni. Kunalokho, bheka kuNkulunkulu wethemba futhi unikele umphumela Kuye. Uzosebenzela zonke izinto ngokuhle—ngesikhathi Sakhe nangendlela Yakhe ephelele.

Yima kancane futhi ucabange: Zinike isikhathi sokuzindla futhi wabelane ngezikhathi zethemba oye waba nazo empilweni yakho.

Ziqeqeshe: Ngabe sikhona isimo esidinga ithemba empilweni yakho? Ungakujwayeza kanjani ukubekezela lapho ulinda? Bhala amavesi athile azokukhuthaza ukuba ume futhi uhlale uqinile.

Thandaza: Cela iNkosi ukubekezela namandla ayo ekulindeni.