The real glory is not how one falls down, but the real glory is how one gets back up - Vince Lombardi
When Bethany was thirteen years old she was a rising star in the surfing world. Her world was shattered when a shark bit off her arm and she barely survived. The fact that she made it out alive it truly a miracle. Bethany explains that she never knew if she would be able to surf again. But Bethany looked inwardly to her true hope and true strength in Jesus Christ to renew her spirit and to also renew her strength, courage, and ability to surf again. Her story is a truly inspiring story told in the movie “Soul Surfer” which comes out in theaters tomorrow. It is a story that inspires others to not give up on themselves and to not give up on God.
We all will have a choice to make as the storms come within our lives and our ministries as leaders. How will we respond? When the shark attacks, will we choose to rise again and live out our true calling in Jesus Christ? I believe this story exemplifies Romans 8:28. Bethany explains in her testimony that the Lord has used this shark attack to bless her and change her life forever.
When hard things happen that we do not understand will we trust that God can turn them around for our good and for His great purposes?
The real question is, will we get back up on the surf board again?
http://www.iamsecond.com/seconds/bethany-hamilton/
Gonna take this one. Christopher Liberati
ReplyDeleteRyan, it sounds like quite an ispiring story. Such seems to be the case in many of the lives of those who have found their strength in Christ. Tuesday I was contacted by my cousin who lives in Wadsworth, Ohio. She wanted to use a prayer that I had read at our uncle’s funeral last year. It was a Native American prayer, she needed it for a research paper that she was doing for her Master’s degree in counseling. I’m sure that we can all appreciate that. I am so proud of her and her accomplishments. She has travel abroad and spent months at a time touring Europe, with a couple of friends and fellow students. The mazing part of the story is that when she was about ten years old she got up one morning complaining that the television cartoons seemed to be losing their color. By the next morning she had lost her sight completely. The whole family feared for how this would affect her life. Needless to say her conquering spirit and her love for Christ compelled her to become the Valedictorian at her High School (not a school for the blind, just a regular school), and now seeking her Master’s. All things are possible through Him!
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