“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
October 31st was a beautiful day to spend at the beach in Hawaii doing what Bethany Hamilton loved best, surfing. Bethany was an avid surfer and knew all the moves. But this day proved to be a challenge for her and her faith. Here’s how Bethany tells her story:
I had no warning at all; not even the slightest hint of danger on the horizon. The waves were small, and I was just kind of rolling along with them, relaxing on my board with my left arm dangling in the cool water. I remember thinking, “I hope the surf picks up soon.”
That’s all it took: a split second. I felt a lot of pressure and a couple of lightning fast tugs. Then I watched in shock as the water around me turned bright red. Somehow, I stayed calm. My left arm was gone almost to the armpit, along with a huge crescent-shaped chunk of my red, white and blue surfboard.
I remember most clearly what the Kauai paramedic said to me in the ambulance: He spoke softly and held my hand “God will never leave you nor forsake you.” He was right.
I can remember putting my trust in Jesus Christ when I was just a kid. When people ask me what my faith in Christ means to me, I usually answer in just one word: “everything!” This was true before the shark attack as well as after. And I believe that this faith is a big part of what got me through it. It helps to know that even when you don’t know why something has happened in your life, God has a master plan and is watching over you.
My plans to be a professional surfer got hit pretty hard on that Halloween morning. In the months that followed I had a lot of thinking to do. Often, it was scary, and I won’t lie to you: it still is. Although my left arm is completely gone, I’ve worked really hard to become a pro surfer.
But for me, knowing that God loves me and that he has a plan for my life that no shark can take away is like having solid rock underneath me. Bad things are bound to happen to everyone. That’s life. Here’s my advice: don’t put all your hope and faith in something that could suddenly and easily disappear. And honestly, that’s almost anything. The only thing that will never go away, that will never fail you, is God and your faith in him. All I can say is He gives me a really strong foundation for everything I do in life.
Today Bethany is competing with the best women surfers in the world. God has blessed her with a wonderful Christian husband and a child. What a beautiful lesson in faith and trust we can learn from Bethany Hamilton.
God will take care of you,
Through every day, o’er all the way;
He will take care of you,
God will take care of you.