Grace Across Borders: Biblical Lessons and Global Legends

Not fast. Not easy. But still moving.

Hi, I’m Tameka.

Good morning, and welcome to Grace Across Borders.

I woke up this morning and decided I was going to write the blog early and send it out. Most Wednesday nights, by the time I finish everything I have to do, I am exhausted. And by the time I finish writing, it’s too late to share it. So I figured, let me try something different today. Maybe something a little lighter. Something you can read with your morning.

But I have to be honest.

This was one of those weeks where I did not feel like the Holy Spirit was speaking to me about what to write. Usually, something sits with me all week. A thought. A scripture. A feeling that won’t let me go.

This week… nothing.

Or maybe not nothing. Maybe life was just loud, and I wasn’t paying attention the way I should have. I can admit that.

So I’m sitting here this morning, in front of my computer, scrolling, still not sure what to write.

And then I saw something.

A video.

There were four boys running a race. Three of them running the way you would expect. And then there was one little boy. His name was Ricky.

Ricky was running with crutches. One of his legs was shorter, and you could tell every step took effort. But he was moving. As fast as his body would allow him.

And all you could hear in the background was,
“Go, Ricky! Go, Ricky! Go, Ricky!”

There was a man walking behind him. Slow. Steady. Watching him closely. I assumed it was his father, making sure he stayed on course.

And Ricky kept going.

Step by step.

Until he reached the finish line.

When he got there, everyone had their phones out. Recording. Cheering. Emotional. The comments were filled with people saying how much it touched them. How it made them cry.

If you would like to watch the Ricky story, you can view it here:
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/193tKVJb49/

It’s worth watching.

And as I sat there watching it, something hit me.

How many times have we needed someone to be our cheerleader like that?

Not because we were the fastest.
Not because we were going to win.
But because we just needed the strength to keep going.

📖Scripture

It made me think of 2 Timothy 4:7:

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

I’ve heard that scripture so many times at funerals.

It’s usually read at the end of someone’s life. Almost like a summary. Like they did what they were supposed to do, and now it’s complete.

But this morning, I heard it differently.

Paul wrote this near the end of his life, after everything he had been through.

And if we’re honest, Paul had every reason to quit.

He was beaten.
He was imprisoned.
He was misunderstood.
He went through things most of us would not want to face.

He could have stopped.

He could have said, “This is too much.”
He could have walked away.

But he didn’t.

He kept going.

He kept doing what God called him to do.
He kept running his race.

So when Paul says he finished,
he’s not talking about something easy.

He’s talking about something costly.

Maybe that’s what finishing really looks like.

And in a different way, that’s what I saw as I watched Ricky.

Not fast.
Not easy.
But he finished.

🌍 Folklore

It also brought to mind the story of The Tortoise and the Hare.

The hare was fast. Confident. Certain he would win.

The tortoise was slow. Steady. Unimpressive to watch.

They decided to race.

But the tortoise didn’t rush.
He didn’t compare.
He didn’t stop.

He just kept moving.

The hare, being confident in his ability, stopped and took a nap.

And in the end, it wasn’t speed that mattered.

It was consistency.

And sometimes, consistency is what carries you to the finish line.

💭 Reflection

And if I’m honest, this part feels personal.

I remember when I joined the military.

I could barely run.
I couldn’t swim.

What was I doing in the Navy?

But I had carried something with me since I was a little girl.

A sense that service, somehow, was part of who I was meant to be.

So when I heard they extended the age limit to join,
and I had just finished my bachelor’s,
I could have said, “That’s enough. I’ve done more than I thought I would.”

But I didn’t.

I went.

What was supposed to be 10 weeks…
turned into months.

I went in August,
and I didn’t graduate until January.

I got hurt.
There were moments I could have quit.
Moments where it would have made sense to walk away.

And at 38 years old, I wasn’t the typical person standing there.

But I made up my mind.

I was going to finish.

Not because I was ready.
Not because it was easy.
But because I refused to give up.

And I did.

I finished basic training.
I made it through A school.
I became an electronics technician.
A petty officer.

Things I wasn’t even sure I was prepared to be.

And even though I didn’t do the 20 years I once imagined,
what I gained in that time…
the doors that opened…

I will never be able to repay.

All because I stayed.

All because I trust in God most importantly. People cheered me along and prayed.

And in a different way, that’s exactly what I saw as I watched Ricky keep going.

And maybe that’s why I’m here.

Not because I had the perfect path.
But because I didn’t quit.

Ricky didn’t throw away his crutches.
And just like Paul the Apostle, he didn’t give up.

He didn’t step off the track.

He stayed in the race.

And he finished.

I Pray You Do The Same…

🙏🏾 Prayer

Lord,

We don’t know what the future holds,
but You do.

And whatever You are calling me to do,
and whoever You are calling me to be,
I’m here for it.

Help me to keep going, even when I don’t see the outcome.
Help me to trust that nothing I do in You is wasted.

Thank you Jesus, for the strength to keep running the race.

And thank You for Your promise
that You will never leave me.

Amen.

💫 Closing

Maybe we don’t need to be the fastest.

Maybe we just need to keep going.

This is Grace Across Borders. Where mercy rewrites our story.