mera paalan-poshan newyork de rosaitar sheher vich ik catholic parivar vich hoya. mai atth saal da si jado mere mummy-daddy ik-dooje to alag rehen lagg paye. mai hafte de dina dauran apni mummy naal rehnda si jo gareeba layi bane ik apartment vich rehndi si. shaneevaar-aetvaar mai ameer ilake vich rehnde apne daddy kol chala janda si. jado mai dekhya ki meri mummy chhe bachya nu paalan layi kinni jaddo-jehed kar rehi si, taa mai apne parivar di madad karan layi ameer bannan de supne dekhan lagga.

 mere daddy chahunde san ki mai zindagi vich safal hova. is layi ohna ne mainu hotel management da course karan layi ik manne-pramanne school vich bhejya. mainu uthe ja ke bahut changa lagga te mai dakhla lai lya. mai sochya ki rab ne meri prarthna sunn layi si ki mai ameer bana te khush raha. mai panj saala layi hotel management, karobaar sambandhi kanoon atey paisya da hisab-kitab rakhan sambandhi course keeta. ise same dauran mai nevada raj de laas vegas sheher vich casino (jooekhana) hotel vich kamm vi karda si.

 22 saal di umar vich mai casino hotel da sahayak vice president bann gaya. lokaa di nazar vich mai ameer te safal viakti si. mai aksar vadiya to vadiya khane khanda si te mehngi-mehngi sharaab peenda si. mere naal kamm karan vale dost kehnde san, “apna dhyaan duniya nu badlan vali cheez ’te lao yani paise ’te.” ohna de khayal vich paisa hi asli khushi da raaz si.

 mera kamm laas vegas vich juaa khedan aaunde ameer lokaa diya lorra pooriya karna si. eh lok ameer hon de bavjood khush nahi laggde san. mai jinna paisa kamaunda si, unni hi mainu chinta hundi si te mai saunda nahi si. mai apni jaan lain bare sochan lagg pya. apni zindagi to nirash ho ke mai rab nu duaa keeti, “mainu asli khushi kitho mil sakdi hai?”

 lagbhag ose same meriya do bhena, jo yahovah diya gavah bann gaiya san, laas vegas vich aa ke rehen laggiya. mai ohna to koi vi prakashan lain to manha kar ditta, par mai ohna naal apni bible to parhan layi razi ho gaya. meri bible vich yisu de shabd lal akhra vich san. mai yisu di kehi har gall mannda si, is layi meriya bhena ne yisu diya galla hi mainu dassiya. nale mai aap vi bible parhda si.

 kayi galla parh ke mai hairan reh gaya. misal layi, yisu ne keha si: “prarthna karde hoye tu duniya de lokaa vang ratiya-rataiya galla na keh kyoki oh sochde han ki ziada bolan karke ohna di suni javegi.” (matti 6:7) padri ne mainu yisu di ik tasveer ditti si atey keha si ki je mai is tasveer agge prarthna vich das vaar “he sadde pita” atey “hail merry” kaha, taa rab mainu unne paise devega jinne mainu chaheede han. par ehi shabd duhra-duhra ke kee mai ratiya-rataiya galla nahi keh reha si? mai yisu de eh vi shabd parhe: “dharti utte kise nu apna pita na kehna kyoki tuhada ‘pita’ ikko hai jehrra swarg vich hai.” (matti 23:9) is layi mai sochya, ‘mai atey dooje catholic lok apne padriya nu “father” [pita] kyo kehnde ha?’

 yakoob di kitab parhan to baad mai duniya vich apni safalta bare gehrayi naal sochan lagga ki mai jo vi kar reha ha, oh sahi kar reha ha ja nahi. yakoob de chauthe adhiaye vich likhya hai: “kee tuhanu pata nahi ki duniya naal dosti karan da matlab hai parmeshwar naal dushmani karni? is layi jehrra vi duniya da dost ban-na chahunda hai, oh apne aap nu parmeshwar da dushman banaunda hai.” (yakoob 4:4) 17vi aayat parh ke taa mai hor vi hairan reh gaya: “is layi je koi sahi kamm karna jaanda hai, par nahi karda, taa oh paap karda hai.” fir mai apnia bhena nu bulaya atey ohna nu dassya ki mai casino hotel nu chhadd reha ha kyoki ithe oh kamm keete jande han jo hun mainu change nahi laggde jive juaa atey lalach.

 mai rab naal atey apne maapya te bhena-bhrava naal apna rishta sudharna chahunda si. is tarha karan layi mai apni zindagi sadi karan da faisla keeta. par idda karna saukha nahi si. kyo? kyoki os vele mainu casino hotel de karobaar nu agge vadhaun layi lalchaun valiya peshkasha aaiya. is tarha mainu do guna ja tinn guna tankhah mil sakdi si. par is bare prarthna karan to baad mai is tarha di zindagi chhaddan da faisla keeta. mai apni naukri chhadd ditti atey apni mummy de garage vich ja ke rehen lagga atey mai restaurant de menu carda nu laminate karan da chhota jeha kamm shuru kar lya.

 bhave ki bible ne zindagi vich sahi galla nu pehel den vich meri madad keeti, par mai hale vi yahovah de gavaha diya meetinga vich nahi janda si. meriya bhena ne mainu puchhya ki mainu gavaha bare kehrri gall changi nahi laggdi. mai keha: “tuhada rab yahovah parivara nu torrda hai. mai christmas atey janam-dina ’te apne parivar naal sama guzar sakda ha, par tusi eh sabh nahi karde.” meri ik bhen ron lagg payi te os ne mainu puchhya: “tu saal de baaki din kithe hunda hai? asi kise vi din tere naal sama guzaran layi tyaar ha. par tu sirf ohna tiohara ’te hi aaunda hai te oh vi majboori naal.” os de shabd mere dil nu chhooh gaye atey mai vi ron lagg pya.

 mai samajh gaya ki yahovah de gavah apne parivara nu bahut pyaar karde han te mai ohna bare galat soch reha si. is layi mai ohna de kingdom haal vich ik meeting ’te jaan da faisla keeta. uthe mai ik tajarbekar bible sikhiak nu milya jis ne mere naal bible study shuru keeti.

 kevin atey os di patni sadi zindagi jeeunde san taaki oh ziada to ziada sama doojya nu bible bare sikhaun vich la sakan. ohna kol inne ku paise taa san ki oh africa atey kendri amreeka vich ja ke gavaha layi brancha banaun vich hath vata sakan. oh bahut khush san te ik-dooje nu pyaar karde san. mai sochya, ‘mai idda di hi taa zindagi jeeuni chahunda si.’

 kevin ne mainu ik video dikhaya ki missionarya nu seva kar ke kinniya khushiya mildiya han. mai faisla keeta ki mai vi missionary seva karanga. 1995 vich chhe mahineya tak bible da gehrayi naal adhiyen karan to baad mai baptisma lai lya atey ik yahovah da gavah bann gaya. dhan-daulat bare rab nu prarthna karan di bajaye mai eh prarthna karan lagg pya: “mainu na gareebi de, na hi daulat de.”—kahauta 30:8.

 mai hun sach-much ameer ha, dhan-daulat karke nahi, sago parmeshwar naal kareebi rishta hon karke! mai handooras vich apni pyaari patni nooria nu milya atey asi doha ne panama te mexico vich ikatthya missionary seva keeti. bible de eh shabd kinne sach han: “yahovah di barkat dhani banaundi hai atey oh is naal koi sog nahi milaunda.”—kahauta 10:22.