Chapter 3

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.                                              Micah 6:8 NIV

David 

If I could string together all the footprints I've tread in my life, I'm sure they'd stretch around the world more than once. I enjoy walking, and in Cape Town, people walk for relaxation, health and enjoyment. Where I come from though, you walk because you have no other choice. In small towns, like the one I'm from, cars were a luxury few could afford and most people from my community are well familiar with the tapping companionship of your own footfall. 

The high school I attended was over an hours' walk from my home. A fourteen kilometre round trip, that started in the dark on icy winter mornings and left my uniform sweat drenched in the summer sun. 

With two older and three younger siblings, stretching meagre resources across the needs of eight family members was no easy feat. As a husband and father, I now understand all too well the heart and desire that drives every effort to provide the day to day things your family needs. My parents did the best they could with what they had and often miraculously stretched a lot of nothing into a little something, ensuring that we never went to bed in hunger. 

For as many paths as I may have walked in my life, it is an entirely different kind of walk that would ultimately become the most significant and defining steps in my life. 

Church and faith are both deeply ingrained in Angolan culture. Attending church on Sundays and joining the youth choir was such an integral part of our lives and further served  to strengthen communal bonds through fellowship in Christ.  

To say I was a shy child, would fall way short of the mark. Having developed a very pronounced stutter at a young age,  putting together even a simple sentence could sometimes  be an arduous task. I had very little confidence and was often  the object of ridicule. I loathed being called on in class and as  much as I loved church and Sunday school, I'd try so hard to  blend into the group or hide myself, as my heart beat wildly  at the thought of being asked to pray aloud or answer a question.  

Even so, I was drawn to the Word, soaking up every Sunday service experience and found myself captivated by the breathtaking love story that was so beautifully weaved into every detail on the pages.  

In spite of my obvious iniquities, God in His infinite grace, was about to change the trajectory of my life in a radical way.  

I was always in the habit of spending daily time in the word, and while doing so, at the age of 19, on no particularly special day, God spoke to me audibly for the first time.  

"You will speak My words and I will be with you"

I was so overwhelmed by the experience that I tried to rationalise it and convince myself that it was not real, but the words echoed around me and would not be silenced.  

Just a few days later, while attending a youth service on a Monday evening , God would reveal His heart and offer me a  chance at obedience. After the service had concluded , one of the church elders  asked us to remain for a few moments. He explained that they had decided, for the first time, to offer a preaching  opportunity, for the upcoming Sunday service to someone from the youth and was asking for a volunteer. I could not believe what I was hearing. My heart was  pounding, as I sat rooted to my chair. Surely one of the other, more confident, qualified and outspoken guys would jump at the chance? The deafening silence around me seemed to stretch on forever.. until.. that now familiar, still small voice punctured through my scattered thoughts with crystal  clarity.  

"Choose"

Before I even had the chance to hesitate, my hand was raised, to the shock and amusement of most surely everyone in the room.  

The boy who can hardly string two words together, speaking in front of the whole congregation. What an absurd idea...  

On that Sunday morning, as I stood at the pulpit, my Bible open at the prepared reading in Corinthians 13, I knew I  would never be the same. It may not have been the most  polished or profound preaching to those who were listening, but God was faithful and He saw me through it beyond  everyone's expectations.  

Thinking back to that moment brings such a smile to my face. My now, booming voice serves me very well in my line of work and speaking to anyone and everyone about the One who changed it all, is my heart's sweetest delight.  

In my walk with Jesus, through all the highs and lows, He has shown me time and again that He is not limited by our circumstances or shortcomings. If we are willing to trust  Him, He will redefine every weakness into our greatest strengths, for His glory. Though I still may not be the greatest public speaker and my words may still get a little tangled  occasionally. I learned the value of obedience to that still small voice as He led me faithfully into the next phase of my life.