Faith in Action: Amani and the Phone (The Tie-Breaker)
Faith in Action: Amani and the Phone (The Tie-Breaker)
When Amani sat for his KEPSEA exams, he had more than just good grades on his mind. We had made a deal: “If you get at least four ‘Exceeding Expectations’ and no ‘Approaching Expectations,’ I’ll buy you a phone.”
As if that wasn’t incentive enough, I’d added a few conditions: “Even when you get the phone, you’ll only use it on weekends—and only after you’ve finished your chores, taken a bath, and had breakfast.”
Amani grinned from ear to ear and replied with a confident “Deal!” But what happened next left me both amused and convicted.
Three weeks before the exam results even came out, I began to notice something strange. Every morning, without any nagging or reminders, Amani got up early and went straight to work. Floors were mopped, dishes cleaned, and beds made with a level of enthusiasm that could have earned him an award in domestic excellence.
One morning, I caught him in my bedroom, meticulously mopping the floor. Half-asleep, I asked, “Amani, why are you doing chores so early? The results haven’t even come out yet.”
Without skipping a beat, he looked up at me and said, “I’m working as though I already have my phone!”
I had to laugh. This child wasn’t just waiting for the results—he was living as if the promise was already fulfilled. His faith in our agreement was so unshakable that he didn’t even need confirmation to start acting on it.
When the results finally came in, Amani burst into the house with the energy of a champion.
“I got FIVE ‘Exceeding Expectations!’” he shouted, his face glowing with excitement.
But before I could celebrate with him, he quickly added, “And… two ‘Approaching Expectation.’”
A tie. My heart swelled with pleasure, but I couldn’t ignore the technicality. The deal had been no “Approaching Expectations.” Still, five Exceeding Expectations was no small feat.
I sat him down and asked, “What do you think we should do?”
Amani thought for a moment, then said earnestly, “I think I still deserve the phone. But I’ll stick to the rules—chores, bath, breakfast, and only on weekends. I’ve been practicing, haven’t I?”
He had a point. For three weeks, Amani had been living out his part of the agreement without even having the phone. How could I argue with that kind of commitment?
When the phone finally arrived, he received it with a smile—not one of surprise, but of satisfaction. He’d already been living like it was his. And true to his word, he followed every rule we’d set.
Looking back, I realized that Amani’s approach to the phone was more than just determination—it was faith in action. He taught me a powerful lesson: if you truly believe in something, you don’t wait for it to happen before you start working towards it.
And honestly, if we all adopted Amani’s “mop-in-hand” mentality, there’s no limit to what we could achieve.
