Zolani, a slender girl with determined eyes and a blue headscarf, wakes before the others, her bare feet brushing the dew-damp grass. The village is quiet but for the crackle of embers and distant river sounds. She kneels outside her family’s hut, whispering a soft prayer, hands folded tightly.

Elders murmur uneasily as they spot a dark, scaled shape gliding just beneath the current. Zolani senses the tension, her gaze fixed on the river. Suddenly, a chilling roar echoes as a massive crocodile lunges, scattering baskets and villagers alike. Elder Thabo, gray-bearded and wise, steadies the crowd. "This beast is not like any we have seen. It has come with anger,"

A sudden stillness falls, and Zolani hears a voice—gentle, powerful, not of this world. "Do not fear, my child. I will guide you. Take the sacred drum to the river at dawn," the voice of GOD whispers in her heart. Her breath catches, but faith fills her.

She meets Elder Thabo at his door, and he recognizes her resolve. "You have heard the voice, haven’t you?" "Yes. It is time," she replies, voice steady. He nods, pressing a blessing into her hands.

Zolani beats the sacred drum, its sound deep and resonant, echoing across the water. The crocodile thrashes, drawn by the rhythm. "By the power of GOD, leave this place and trouble us no more!" she shouts, voice ringing with courage. The drumbeat swells, and the beast recoils, finally vanishing beneath the river with a last, furious splash.

Zolani stands among them, humble but radiant, the sacred drum resting at her side. Elder Thabo embraces her, tears shining in his eyes. "Your faith has saved us, brave child," he declares, and the crowd lifts their voices in a prayer of thanks giving to the heavens.

Moral of the story: GOD can use anything and anyone we just need to listen and obey.