Greetings,
I wondered for a while what to do on the final day of my Shark Week tribute. I know I talked a lot about fictional shark stories, and that's good and fun. At least, I hope it has been that. But I felt it necessary to discuss the impact that this animal could have on a real person, because, though in the movies it is entertainment, people have been victims of sharks. Today, I want to talk about one of the most famous, not victims, but survivors - Bethany Hamilton.
For anyone who doesn't know, I'll try to sum up her story.
Bethany Hamilton grew up in Hawaii with dreams of becoming a professional surfer. She began at a very young age and showed a lot of promise. But in 2003, at the age of thirteen, Bethany was attacked by a tiger shark while surfing with her best friend, Alana, and Alana's father and brother. Her left arm had been torn off, and her friends rushed her to the hospital. By the time they arrived, she had lost 60% of her blood, and subsequently had to endure several surgeries. It was truly a miracle that she survived, but that was only the beginning of the miracle.
A mere month after the incident, Bethany returned to the water, refusing to give up her dream of becoming a professional surfer. Not only did she struggle and work hard at having to learn to do everyday tasks in a new way, but she also had to learn a new way to indulge in her passion of surfing. By not giving up, even with moments of overwhelming difficulty, she exceeded all expectations and did it. After winning several competition, her dream was achieved in 2007 when she turned pro.
I cannot even begin to explain how much of a hero this young woman is to me. It wasn't enough for her just to recover, or just to survive. She was going to live in the fullest sense of the world. Once she realized that her great love of surfing was possible, she knew that nothing was impossible. And she has never been shy about saying how she has made it through this entire experience.
From the beginning, Bethany has spoken openly and proudly about her faith in Christ and how, through Him, she has been able to always make it in life. As a Christian myself, I am so happy to see someone in the public eye who is not ashamed to say these things. I have been in the presence of people who called themselves Christians, but who were ashamed to speak of it in front of their friends. But then, I saw this little girl of thirteen, who had this horrific thing happen to her, stand up in front of crowds, cameras, the whole world, and proclaim her faith. And I was so thrilled that when the movie of her story, Soul Surfer, came out, it did not downplay that faith at all. Thanks, Hollywood. You did something right here.
And now Bethany Hamilton has grown into a strong, beautiful woman. She took this thing that, at first, did seem so horrific, and turned it into a blessing. What happened to her has given her the ability to reach so many people with the message of God's love, and she has even expressed that she wouldn't change anything, because if she had not had to go through this, she would not be where she is now. Bethany knew that God had a beautiful plan for her life and this was just another part of it.
What an amazing person!
So as this week draws to a close, remember this. We do have fun with those movies, and there's no shame in being entertained by them. But let us not forget those real people who have been affected. While there have been terrible incidents of pain and death, there are also stories of survival. May we remember through this wonderful woman and all the survivors that any tragedy can be turned into a triumph.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
