Bethany Hamilton Experienced

BETHANY HAMILTON EXPERIENCED as memorable a 2003 as any professional athlete in the world. The 13-year-old surfer won the women’s division at the Local Motion-Ezekiel Surf Into Summer contest in Oahu, Hawaii, defeating much older and more experienced competitors. Then Hamilton took first in the women’s division of the National Scholastic Surfing Association’s Open and Explorer Event on her home island of Kauai.

But Hamilton gained worldwide notoriety early in November when news spread after a 14-foot tiger shark bit off her left arm. She was surfing early in the morning with some family and friends off Kauai’s north shore. As she dangled her left arm in the water, waiting for a decent wave, the shark came out of nowhere and bit her arm off at the shoulder—and it also took a huge chunk out of her surfboard. A supreme athlete, Hamilton didn’t panic; she calmly paddled with one arm over to her friends. Once everybody realized what happened, they quickly returned to shore and rushed her to the hospital.

Soon everybody wanted to know more about this amazing teenager. Friends, doctors, and family members—including her older brothers, Noah and Tim—were interviewed by the national news media. And when asked how Bethany made it through this ordeal, Noah had just a two-word response: “Jesus Christ.”

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POINT Bethany Hamilton was regarded as the top up-and-coming women’s surfer in the world. She had five sponsors and a bright future. After the shark took her arm, her spirits didn’t dampen. In fact, she told one of her friends that she was glad this happened to her because then she could tell the whole world about God.

Even without her arm, Hamilton knows her future is bright—whether it’s in surfing, photography, or whatever she wants to do. With God as her Savior, Bethany’s not worried. She even competed again ten weeks after the accident. As followers of Jesus Christ, we shouldn’t fret about what’s going to happen to us, either. No matter what happens—good or bad—God can use it for our benefit.

GOAL! Next time something bad happens to you, think about Bethany Hamilton. Ask God to help you totally trust him with your life.