It was just an ordinary evening — the kind where I tinkered on my laptop whilst Clive watched YouTube movies. Clive had paused his movie as we started a conversation and said a few weeks ago he had a vision. He saw himself on a grand stage, a successful businessman introducing me — me — as a speaker. I laughed, half-shocked, half-stirred, because I know the dread. The knots in my stomach, the tremble in my voice, the kind of fear that brings up tears and tries to paralyse me.

But Clive wasn’t teasing. He was testifying.

He shared how he felt God moving us on. We had sensed for some time that our season at MBCC might be one of healing, not permanence. Clive never quite settled. His vaccine injury made attending both MBCC and CIC physically difficult. We stayed because God had anchored me with the call to start Encounter Groups and Paint Parties. That call was louder than our personal preferences.

When Pastor Abri left, we almost did too. But obedience kept us grounded.

Tonight, at The Gathering, Ashish gently mirrored something back to me. "Your voice is more confident now," he said. "Stronger. Louder. More formal. You may not realise how much you've grown." And I blinked, surprised. Maybe he was right.

He encouraged me to trust the emotional depth of my voice, my heart-connection — especially when I speak about healing. That’s where the real power lives. Not in persuasion. Not in performance. But in honest connection. That, I can do.

Sometimes God calls us to the very places that scare us — not to torment us, but to heal us. To show us what we’re capable of when we surrender the dread and pick up His courage. I used to believe the stage belonged to people who were bolder, braver, more eloquent. But maybe it belongs to those who are willing. Willing to be seen, willing to be vulnerable, willing to connect heart-to-heart.

Public speaking isn’t just about speaking. It’s about offering your story as a bridge — one that leads others toward healing, wholeness, and hope.

And when Clive saw me on that stage, he wasn’t just seeing my future. He was witnessing God redeeming what once felt like weakness.