I’d Rather Have Jesus
(Late 71:23: Matthew 16:24-26)
Mrs. Rhea F. Miller (1894-1966)
George Beverly Shea (1909- )
George Beverly Shea kici min bel evangelical-te’ laka kiza mun mahmah min ahi hi. 1974 kuma kipanin Billy Graham Evangelistic Association-te’ soloist (la tangsakpa) hi a, cialpite-a a lasakna tungtawnin ahi zongin, “Hour of Decision” radio-a a lasakna tungtawnin ahi zongin, recording tuamtuam leh TV-a a lasaknate tungtawnin ahi zongin leitung buppi-a kimu leh kiza mun mahmah khat ahi hi. A aw ngiat hoih mahmah buahbuah-a, la a sak ciangin lungsim takpi-in sa phadeuh leh kilawm den se hi. Ama’ lasakte lakah hih la, “Ke’n Zeisu Deihzaw Ing” mah minthangpen-a, a la-aw mahmah zong ama’ phuah ngiat ahi hi. A la phuahte’lakah a phuah masakpen hi a, hih la a kisak nak leh “George Beverly Shea’ la” kici lianlian hi.
George Beverly Shea pen February 1, 1909 ni-in Canada gam Winchester, Ontario ah suak hi. A nu a pate a piangthak mahmah thu-ummite ahi uh hi. A pa pen Wesleyan Methodist Church a thuhilhsia khat hi-a, amah kha lam leh music lama a pantah taktak bel a nu ahi hi. A neu tunga kipan New York leh New Jersey khuate-a sia-innte ah khangkhia a, a neu tunga kipan mah-in music lam a vakna leh a aw a hoih lam kilang pah hi. A pa’ pastor sepna biakinn ah la sa dena, mun dang tuamtuam ah zong a kisapna bangin sa thei zel hi. High School a zawh ciangin New York khua-a om Houghton College ah 1928-29 sung pilna sina, innkuan sung sum leh paii haksatna hangin kum khat khit ciangin khawl-a, New York khua-a insurance office khat ah lai-at sem hi. Tua hun sung a pa in Jersey City ah pastor sema a nu leh a pa tawh omkhawm uh hi.
A nu pen na khat peuhpeuh hoih a sa thei khat hi a, pak khatpeuh ahi a, vasa khatpeuh ahi zongin a hoihna a mu thei phadeuh khat ahi hi. Poem hoih khatpeuh a muh ciangin mite’ sim ding a deih den khat ahi hi. La ngaih khatpeuh a muh ciangin piano tung khawngah koih den-a, tuate’ tungtawnin George Bevely Shea in music lam uk semsem hi, kici hi. Hih “Ke’n Zeisu Deihzaw Ing” la mahmah zong tua bangte tungtawna ama’ kum 20 a phak laitaka a phuah ahi hi. Nipi Ni zingsang khat Mrs. Rhea F. Miller’ phuah hih lamalte sim kha hi. Tua ni mah-in a la-aw ding phuak pah a, tua ni mah-in a pa’ biakinn ah sa pah hi. “Mrs. Miller’ phuah lamalte om lo-in hih la piang ngei lo dinga, tua ni-a kipan hih la ka sak, tuni dong cimtaak hun cih bang ka nei ngei kei hi” ci-in gen ngei hi.
The Mutual of New York Life Insurance Company ah kum 9 sung sema, tua hun sungin pawlpi tuamtuam-ah la sa kawikawi-in amau’ kiim a Christian radio lasaknate ah zong kihel kawikawi hi. Tuate tungtawnin vocal training a neinei suak hi. Ni khat network radio station director khat tawh kimu a, tua pa in Lynn Murray Singers-te tawh la a sak khop theih nading gelsak hi. Mi tampi in a lasak ngai ding, sum tampipi ngah thei ding ci-in lawp vat sam hi napi-in tua banga leitung la sak ding lungtung zo lo kik ahih manin nial kik hi. “Great Depression” a kici America gama kipan leitung buppi-a tung ngei sum leh paii nuntak haksat hun sung ahih manin mi dangte hi leh bang la bang la ahi zongin sum ngah nading ahih nak leh ci-in lawp mahmah lel ding uh hi.
June 16, 1934 ni-in a neu lawmnu (teen-age sweetheart) Eram Scharfe tawh kiteng uh a, tanu tapa nih tawi uh hi. Chicago ah kisuan uh a, tua lai ah WMBI radio station staff in om hi. 1944 kum June kha-in gambup-a gospel lasak ding a ut ut mahbangin “Club Time” radio program ah lasak theih nading hun khat ngah hi. Aluminium company lian mahmah khat a nei mihau piangthak mahmah khat ahi Herbert J. Taylor in a sum bei khempeuh kum tampi sung sik den hi. 1940 kumte leh 1950 kumte-in America leh Canada-a Youth for Christ rally-te ah lasa den hi. Tua khit ciangin Billy Gaham Evangelistic Association tawh kithuah-in cialpite leh radio leh television-te ah lasa den hi. Pasian’ ading kum tampi sung a sepnate pahtawina-in 1956 kumin Houghton College in honorary doctorate degree pia uh hi.
Khangnote’ tungah thu a gen simin Matthew 16:24-26 bulphuh-in, “Amah na kimakaihsak nak leh Pasian in na nuntakna hong kamaih den ding hi” ci-in thuhilh den hi. A min peuh a thuh cianga a signature tawh a gelhkhop theihden, a deihpen Laisiangtho mun bel Late 71:23 ahi hi: “Nong tatsa keimah in nangmah phatna ka sak ciangin ka mukte nuamin kiko ding hi.”(ZIV)
George Beverly Shea’ phuah hih la tungtawnin mi mal bangzah in hotkhiatna ngah-in, bangzah-in kha lamah kilambehna nei cih bel tawntung mun i tun ciangin kithei pan ding hi. Ama’ phuah late lakah “Ke’n Hih Mah Lamdangpen Sa’ng” (The Wonder of It All) leh “I Will Praise Him in the Morning” cih late minthang mahmah hi.
Rev. Zam Khat Kham
Christian Hymn te’ tangthu 2005
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