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When fear threatens all that you love, will you rise above?
Soul Surfer
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Soul Surfer
We all have a story to tell. The human experience is full of intriguing events and situations that we love to hear. Tales of life struggles inspire us as we compare them to our own journey. The story of the Soul Surfer is something like that for me.
I was recently reminded of this incredible person by a television program called, The Masked Singer.
This entertaining singing competition is a load of fun as celebrity individuals dress-up in creative costumes that mask their identity.
They come on stage to perform a song and the audience is challenged to guess who they are by simply hearing the voice. Clues are given during the course of the show, along with a panel of celebrity judges offering their best guess. Actors, politicians, professional athletes, and former super star musicians, you never know for sure who is masquerading in costume until the mask is removed.
The character called, The Macaron, took stage adorned as a giant macaroon cookie and performed the 2011 hit song, “Call Me Maybe”, by Carly Rae Jepsen.
At first, the panel judges were at a loss on who The Macaron was, but there was a specific clue that helped Rita Ora figure it out … Unstoppable
It was Bethany Hamilton. This amazing individual went through a life experience few of us could imagine. Her story is portrayed in the motion picture, Soul Surfer. This movie has had a lasting impact for me on a personal level.
Suffering a violent shark attack, losing an arm, fighting for her life in the hospital, and adjusting to a life that would never be the same, Bethany’s ordeal hits close to home. It holds some strong parallels to something my own daughter, Ashli, endured.
A sudden illness hospitalized Ashli for weeks, nearly killing her.
After flat-lining on the operating table and losing a major organ, she was faced with grueling 2-year recovery and a forever-changed life.
Bethany’s story evokes many emotions for me because of what Ashli went through.
Bethany could have easily given up. But when depression and defeat pressed down, she pushed back. She rose above. She put in the hard work to recover from the physical injuries, but the real work is what happened on the inside, within her soul.
With one good arm she paddled back into the ocean to learn how to surf again. For me, this is an OMG-moment. I’m not sure I could overcome the fear of knowing there are still hungry sharks lurking in the water beneath me!
Surfing was in her soul, so Bethany refused to allow fear to keep her from doing what she loved. In her own words, “Courage doesn’t mean you don’t get afraid. Courage means you don’t let fear stop you.” What an inspiration!
I am equally inspired by Bethany’s faith. In books, in movies, and in countless interviews, she has made it clear that faith in God has been central to her life and recovery. Her modesty is admirable. Seeking to be a witness above all else, she says, “I don’t really want people looking to me for inspiration. I just want to be a sign along the way that points toward Heaven.”
Search for Bethany Hamilton
How great is that? I think this is exactly why she has drawn so many people to her. Her struggle inspires us in our own journey to seek a higher power … the one within, and the one above.
In similar fashion, my daughter has overcome and adjusted. Faith brought Ashli through and keeps her going. Happily married now and in her thirties, she is still finding her way. I am grateful Ashli is still with us and will always think of her every time I remember the Soul Surfer.
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