Ngesikhathi amaphayona amabili amenyelwe komunye umuzi eKenya, akhuza ababaza nekabona indoda encani ngomzimba ilele embhedeni. Indoda le beyinomzimba omncani khulu nemikhono emifitjhani. Bathi nabakhuluma nayo ngesithembiso sakaZimu sokuthi “abarholopheleko bazakutjakadula njengehlangumataka,” indoda leyo yabobotheka.—Isa. 35:6.

Amaphayona la alemuka ukuthi u-Onesmus, nje oseminyakeni yabo-30, wabelethwa anobulwelwe bamathambo i-osteogenesis imperfecta, namkha i-brittle bone disease. Amathambwakhe bekamabothobotho kangangobana bekangaphulwa ngitjho namnyakazo omncani khulu. Njengombana ingekho-ke ipengu namkha ukwelatjhwa kobulwelobu, u-Onesmus uzokutsitsila ukuphila kwakhe koke phezu kwesihlalo samavilo.

U-Onesmus wavuma ukufundelwa iBhayibheli. Kodwana unina wamalela ukuthi aye emihlanganweni yobuKrestu, asaba ukuthi lokho kungamthunuka, kumlimaze nokuya phambili. Yeke, abazalwana bebamdabhela imihlangano bese ayilalele asekhaya. Ngemva kokufunda iinyanga ezihlanu, u-Onesmus waqunta ukuya emhlanganweni yebandla, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi kwenzekani.

Kazi kwazibhebhedlhisa na iinhlungu zaka-Onesmus ukuya emihlanganweni yobuKrestu? Kwaba ngokuhlukileko. U-Onesmus nakakhumbulako uthi: “Ubuhlungu bangamalanga bebuphela ngesikhathi semihlangano.” Wagcina sekacabanga ukuthi ikolo yake etja iyipengu yokugula kwakhe. Unina laka-Onesmus walemuka ukuthi umntwanakhe akasafani nekuthomeni, okuyinto naye eyamthabisa wanyekele wamukela nesifundo seBhayibheli. Yena-ke bekangathi: “Ukukhonza uZimu kuyipengu yomntwanami.”

Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi, u-Onesmus waba mrhuweleli ongakabhajadiswa. Kwathi ngelikade, wabhajadiswa kangangobana nje uyinceku ekhonzako. Nanyana angakghoni nje ukukhamba, nomunye wemikhonwakhe ungasebenzi kuhle, u-Onesmus ululukela ukwenza koke angakwenza ekonzweni kaJehova. Bekafuna nokuphayona kwesikhatjhana kodwana bekanokuzaza. Kubayini? Kungombana bekazi ukuthi uzokutlhoga umuntu ozomtjhova ngesihlalo sakhe samavilo. Wathi nakayiphandlusela kwakholwa nabo abamaKrestu, bamathembisa ukumsekela. Ngokwenza njalo-ke bamsiza u-Onesmus waba liphayona lesigiyani.

Nje u-Onesmus ululukela ukuba liphayona elivamileko, kodwana indaba yokutjhovwa isamtshwenya. Ngelinye ilanga nokho, umtlolo welanga wamnikela isikhuthazo asitlhogako. Bewuthethwe kuRhubo 34:9 [34:8, NW]: “Yizwani benibone bonyana uSomnini muhle.” Ngemva kokuzindla ngomtlolo loyo, u-Onesmus waqunta ukuba liphayona elivamileko. Nje utjhumayela amalanga amane evekeni, begodu uneemfundo zeBhayibheli eziza kuhle ngokomoya. Ngo-2010, waya esiKolweni seKonzo samaPhayona. Awazi ukuthi kwamthabisa kangangani u-Onesmus nakabona umbanduli wabo kungomunye wabazalwana abamvakatjhela kokuthoma!

Ababelethi baka-Onesmus sebahlongakala, kodwana abazalwana nabodade bebandleni bayamtlhogomela qobe langa. Uyathaba ngazo zoke iimbusiso azifumanako namhlanjesi, begodu ulilinde ngamehlwabovu lamhla ‘kungasenamhlali . . . ozakuthi: “Ngiyagula.”’—Isa. 33:24.