Yesterday I watched "Soul Surfer". I have seen it once before a while back. But as I watched it yesterday, I cried, bawled, and praised God. The story, seemingly a tragedy, shows how God uses these bad times in our life for a bigger purpose. The film does a very good job of showing this families, and especially Bethany's trust in God. I did some research on Bethany and found most of the movie is very accurate. She said when they were putting her in the ambulance after the shark attack, a EMS medic whispered in her ear: " I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" She said she will never forget that EMS medic, because this is exactly what she needed to hear at that moment. If you haven't seen the movie, I highly recommend it.
Has seemingly disaster come into your life recently? What have you done about it? Have you, like me, shouted at God, shaken your fist at Him, and like Bethany cried out to Him: "Why did this have to happen to me?" It is so easy to focus on ourselves, especially when trouble is all we can see. But God has another plan. He is thinking about the people you can influence, the lives you can touch when you triumph over these "tragedies".
I was thinking about Noah the other day. It had never rained ever. No one knew what water coming from the sky was. Yet Noah was building a boat in his back yard, a huge boat. Do you think he ever got discouraged? Do you think the criticism he was getting from everyone was getting him down? Do you ever think he got tired of working so hard on a boat, and then gathering up animals of every kind, to put on the boat? Of course he did. But he continued. What would have happened to the earth if Noah had not been obedient to the Lord? Would God had sent the flood anyway and destroyed us all? We don't have to think about that, because Noah WAS obedient. How many splinters do you think he got handling all that wood, how many times do you think he hit his thumb with a hammer? How many times do you think he was made fun of as he went into "Home Depot" to buy a lot more nails? No, he did not have his arm bitten off by a shark, but he had his on tragedy, just the same.
One of the things that impresses me the most about Bethany's story, is that her family were Christians before all this happened. What did they do after this tragedy struck? They prayed, the leaned on God, this made their faith stronger. Bethany found out when she turned her focus off herself, and her missing arm, and turned it on others, her whole attitude changed, she focused on others, she let God's light shine for all to see. We would have never heard of her if it had not been for this tragedy and her desire, and drive, and love for surfing to continue regardless of how many arms she had, if it had not been for that shark. Now she tells the world that Jesus Christ is the reason she went on, He is the one that held her, He is the only reason she is living.
"Google" "Bethany Hamilton" and see the many sites there are. She has sites that tell her story, that explain her faith, that tell how to be saved through Jesus Christ. She is using the attention she is getting through her tragedy to show people God's love.
Romans 8:37
No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
You don't have to have your arm bitten off by a shark, or build a huge boat in your back yard to be used of God. You do, however, have to do what He asks of you. Tragedies come, and Victories come, But Jesus Christ is ALWAYS.
Watch "Soul Surfer" if you have already seen it, watch it again. This is how I want to live my life, to serve Him, regardless.
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