The sun dipped low over the Zambian hills, casting a warm, golden hue across the land. Blessings stood at the edge of a cliff, overlooking the vast stretch of wilderness below. He had come to this spot many times before, but today felt different. The wind whispered through the tall grasses, as though the earth itself was speaking to him, urging him forward.
His journey had not been an easy one, but the lessons he had learned from Kunda were slowly taking root in his heart. He had faced challenges that had tested not only his physical strength but also his spiritual resolve. Yet, each trial had revealed more of who he was becoming.
But even as he stood there, with the weight of all his growth behind him, Blessings couldn't shake the feeling that something much larger was at play. There was a calling—a deep, resonating voice within his soul that told him he was meant for something greater than he could imagine.
He turned and made his way back down the hill toward the village. The sun was nearly gone now, and the night was settling in, but his heart raced with anticipation. He couldn't explain it, but he knew something was coming—something that would change everything.
---
That night, as Blessings lay in bed, his thoughts were restless. The lessons from Kunda swirled in his mind, but there was a nagging sense of something more, something he had yet to fully grasp.
"Lord," he whispered into the darkness, "what do you want from me? What is this calling I feel?"
He closed his eyes, waiting for an answer. For a moment, the silence was deafening. But then, like a whisper on the wind, he heard the voice he had come to recognize as his own—a voice now filled with the authority of the One who had called him.
"Rise up, Peter. The time has come for you to step into your purpose."
Blessings' eyes shot open. His heart pounded in his chest, and a wave of both fear and excitement washed over him. He knew that this was not a dream—it was the call he had been waiting for. But what did it mean?
---
The next day, Blessings sought out Kunda. The old man had become more than a mentor to him; he had become a guide, a father figure, someone who had shown him the way through the spiritual fog. Blessings knew he had to tell him what had happened the night before.
He found Kunda sitting under the baobab tree, as usual, his staff resting beside him. There was a calm about the old man today, as though he already knew what Blessings was going to say.
"I had a vision last night," Blessings said, sitting down beside him. "I heard the voice again. It told me to rise up. That the time had come for me to step into my purpose."
Kunda nodded slowly, his eyes piercing with understanding. "The time is indeed near, Peter. You are being called to lead—to step into the fullness of who you are meant to be."
"But what does that mean?" Blessings asked, his voice filled with uncertainty. "I've only just started to understand these things. I don't feel ready."
Kunda smiled. "No one ever feels ready. But when the call comes, you must answer. You have been prepared for this moment, even if you do not yet see the full picture."
---
That afternoon, Kunda took Blessings to the outskirts of the village, to a small gathering of people. The villagers were poor, but their faces radiated warmth and kindness. As Blessings looked around, he saw something more than just humble homes and dusty roads. There was a deep longing in the eyes of the people—a longing for leadership, for guidance, for hope.
Kunda turned to Blessings. "These people have been waiting for a leader. They may not know it yet, but they will soon."
Blessings swallowed hard. "What do you want me to do?"
Kunda's eyes gleamed. "Speak to them."
---
At first, Blessings hesitated. His knees wobbled with nervous energy, his heart racing in his chest. He had never spoken to a group of people this large before, let alone as someone who might offer them anything of value. But he felt the pull in his spirit, the overwhelming sense that he was meant to share something with them.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward. The crowd fell silent, their eyes fixed on him.
"I… I don't know where to begin," Blessings stammered, his voice barely above a whisper. "But I do know one thing—we are not alone. We are not abandoned. There is a purpose for each of us. I've learned this in the hard way, through battles both within and around me."
He looked at the faces in the crowd—faces that were worn by life's struggles but also full of hope. It was then that the words began to flow, not from his own thoughts but from a deeper place within him.
"I've walked through darkness," he continued, his voice growing stronger. "I've faced fears I didn't know I could overcome. But I'm standing here because I know that God has called me for a purpose. He has called each of us. And together, we will rise."
The crowd stirred, murmuring softly. Blessings felt the power of the words he spoke. He wasn't just delivering a message. He was declaring a truth, a truth that connected to the very core of who these people were.
---
As Blessings finished speaking, he felt the weight of what had just happened. He had answered the call. He had taken the first step toward leadership, and though the road ahead was uncertain, he knew that God's hand was on him.
Kunda stood behind him, nodding with approval. "You spoke with authority, Peter. The first step is always the hardest, but it's the most important."
Blessings turned to Kunda, gratitude in his eyes. "But I still don't feel like I'm ready. What if I fail?"
Kunda smiled gently. "You will fail, Peter. Everyone does. But failure is not the end. It is part of the journey. What matters is that you rise each time, that you learn and grow from each stumble. The road of a leader is not easy, but you are not alone. You have the One who called you, and you have the people who will walk with you."
---
As Blessings looked out over the crowd, he knew this was only the beginning. The journey ahead would be fraught with challenges, with moments of doubt and fear. But it was also a journey that would shape him into the leader he was destined to become.
The voice had called him—Peter, the rock—and now he was stepping into his purpose. The path ahead was uncertain, but the foundation had been laid.