When God Says You're Not the Tail, You're the Head

William Atitso Amankwah was six years old, hungry, and alone when he first heard the voice.

His mother—a single parent after his father's death—was out searching for work to put food on the table. William came home from school to an empty house and began to cry. Then he felt it: a hand on his shoulder, and a voice cutting through his panic. Stop crying. I am here with you. You will be fine till your mommy gets back home.

Chills covered his body. When his mother returned, he told her what happened. Her response would shape the rest of his life: "God has his hand upon your life. God wants you to do His work."

Today, at 49, William is the founder of AWA Roofing Company Limited in Ghana—a climate-resilient metal roofing manufacturer that doesn't just build roofs. It trains women for sustainable work, supports orphans quarterly, and gathers every Friday for employee-led fellowship. His business is a living sermon, and every decision flows from the same voice he heard as a child.

The Voice That Wouldn't Stop

By 2018, William had built a sterling reputation in Ghana's roofing industry. He was the general manager at a major firm, known for setting up complete factories, training teams, and managing operations before moving on to the next challenge. People respected his expertise. His salary reflected his value.

But three months before he resigned, he started hearing it again: You are not the tail. You are the head.

The message repeated like a drumbeat. William knew what it meant—God was calling him out of employment and into entrepreneurship. But the timing made no sense. He was supporting orphans and widows with his salary. A manufacturing startup required serious capital. Where would the money come from?

I went on my knees and I prayed and I asked God, you know, I don't have much. All that I have, I always spend it on these kids and these widows and widowers. How will I be able to start a new manufacturing company?

He prayed on that question for a week. Then one afternoon at 2:30, sitting at his desk, William felt himself drifting. The voice returned—clearer this time, more insistent.

I am the one asking you to start. I am the one who can show you the way how to do it and finish it. I will bring destiny helpers into your life. I don't want you to give anybody prophecy or siphon money from people. I want you to help people, take people out of their situations, put a smile on people's faces, and give them sustainable jobs to do.

William didn't believe it. He thought it might be the enemy trying to sabotage his stable income. So he ignored it.

When Disobedience Hurts

Days later, William felt something he'd never experienced: a physical sensation like being beaten by an invisible hand. The voice cut through the pain.

You are being stubborn. Don't you know I sent you to this world to come and save people for me? I know your heart. You are always thinking about people, you don't think about yourself. That is why I want you to do something on your own. See how I am going to prosper you to cater for the needy.

William ran to his ministry team leader and recounted everything. The leader's response was immediate: "God's hand is on your life. You are not just a mere person. You are a child of God. No matter what happens, start something on your own."

On December 4, 2018, William submitted his resignation.

His CEO refused to accept it. He offered a significant salary increase, knowing William was the brain behind the company's success. William's answer stopped him cold: "It is time for me to do something on my own to help the needy and widows and help build churches to win souls for God."

The CEO stood silent, staring. Then he said, "Do you know what you just said? I'm going to give you $5,000—a seed I'm sowing in your life because of this kind of idea."

William thought he was joking. At his send-off party, the CEO handed him $25,000 in cash.

I've never treated him badly; he has never treated me badly, but because I want to do kingdom work—I want to do God's work with the work that I'm doing—he sowed that seed.

That money purchased the land where AWA Roofing's factory stands today.

A Factory Built on Faithfulness

AWA Roofing manufactures climate-resilient metal roofing, installs systems, conducts inspections, cleans gutters—and trains young people, especially women, for sustainable employment. But the business model is only half the story. The other half happens every morning, at lunch, and every Friday afternoon.

Before William sits at his desk each day, he prays and commits the day to God. Before his team starts work, they gather for prayer. And every Friday, they hold a 30-minute fellowship—rotating who leads so every employee has the opportunity to share what they understand about following Christ.

"Being a Christian, working in a company, we shouldn't always think about money," William explains. "We should share the word of God. We should understand that where we are, we are there because of God."

Every quarter, the company buys food and supplies for the needy and visits orphanages. At year-end, they do it again. The work is not ancillary to the business—it is the business.

When asked how he funded the factory's construction beyond that initial seed gift, William pauses. "If you ask me today, where did I get the money from to do it? I wouldn't be able to tell you." Destiny helpers appeared—just as the voice promised.

What Monday Morning Looks Like

William's leadership philosophy is simple: admit everything to the omnipotent one. Before decisions, before strategies, before action—prayer. Not as ritual, but as the operating system.

Here's what that looks like in practice:

Start with family. Every morning, William gathers his wife and children for devotion before anyone leaves the house. They commit the day to God together.

Center your workplace. Before sitting at his desk, William prays over the day's work. Before the team begins, they pray as a group. This isn't a two-minute formality—it's the foundation.

Rotate spiritual leadership. Every Friday, a different team member leads fellowship. Whether they can preach eloquently or simply share their understanding, everyone gets a turn. "We are all children of God," William says. No hierarchy in the kingdom.

Make generosity structural, not optional. Quarterly giving isn't a nice idea—it's built into the company's rhythm. Schedule it. Budget for it. Make it as non-negotiable as payroll.

Listen to your instincts. When William was twelve, a missionary told him, "God's hand is on you. Always listen to his voice. Listen to your instincts. Anything that you feel is coming from God, act on it." That counsel has guided every major decision since.

The Advice That Changes Everything

When asked what he'd tell other Christian business leaders, William doesn't offer strategy. He offers surrender.

There is a living God. Everything that we do, we have to admit it to the omnipotent one. Without him, nothing can be possible. We should leave everything in the hands of God. He should give us the direction. And we should follow each direction. And we will by all means get to our destinations.

William's story isn't about a man who took a risk and got lucky. It's about a man who heard God clearly, obeyed reluctantly, and watched provision show up in ways he still can't explain. The $25,000 gift. The factory that somehow got built. The women now earning sustainable income. The orphans who eat because a roofing company decided to tithe its mission, not just its money.

This is what happens when you stop treating your business as separate from your calling. When you let God be the head, not just the chaplain.

William heard the voice at six. He's still listening at 49. And somewhere in Ghana, there's a factory with a roof that shouldn't exist—but does—because one man finally believed what God told him decades ago.

You are not the tail. You are the head.

What is God saying to you that you've been too afraid—or too practical—to obey? What would it look like to stop planning your way into faith, and start praying your way into action?

William would tell you: the voice is real. The provision is real. And the work you're called to do is already funded—you just have to take the first step.