Soul Surfer: You Don't Have to be Bethany Hamilton to Inspire People for Christ

By Lisa Kroulik © April 9, 2011

I saw the movie Soul Surfer today and was moved to tears many times. I doubt that I am alone in that. Anyone who can get through this movie without showing emotion can not possibly have a heart. They might as well be the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz.

The most profound moment of the movie for me was near the end when Bethany Hamilton, the teenage surfing champion who lost her arm to a shark attack, was asked if she could go back to the day it happened and choose not to go surfing. She paused for a moment and said that no, she would not, because her experience made her realize that "I can embrace more people with one arm than I ever could with two."

Some critics call this quote cheesy and predictable, but I like it anyway. It immediately had me thinking about how God gives us the power to make the most difficult circumstances in our lives tragic or triumphant. Bethany's choice to draw from her faith and move forward in life ultimately affected untold numbers of people from all over the world. What if she had succumbed to self-pity and made this tragedy only about herself? Would anyone have really blamed her for that? What's fair about losing an arm at the age of 13?

Because of Bethany's faith, she was able to see how losing her arm eventually gave her the ability to impact other people in a way that she otherwise would not have had. Her return to surfing inspired people, as did her faith journey. Several times during the movie, Philippians 4:13 "I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me" was mentioned. Whether or not that meant returning to surfing or finding a new normal, it was clear that she was trusting in God to show her the way.

Sometimes all it takes is one day to change the course of your life. It may not be as dramatic as a shark attack, but I'm sure many people can pinpoint a day when they knew nothing would ever be the same.

My day was March 31, 2006, the day I came home early from work to discover my Christian husband dressed up in women's clothing. By the end of that day, I would learn that he had an addiction to cross-dressing and sexual acting out that pre-dated our relationship, that his addiction was costing us several hundred dollars a month and that he was actively trying to change his body to become more feminine.

I can not do justice to describing the range of emotions I felt that day. Shock, betrayal, anger, deep sorrow and total humiliation are just a few that come to mind. The man I loved, who I had children with, who I had built my dreams around, was not at all who I thought he was. I wanted to die.

I honestly don't know how people make it through the darkest times of life without a relationship with God. As I threw myself into His arms, He made many things clear about my husband that I had been too blinded to see, as we had a very unhealthy marriage even before that day. It was a long process, but God was with me every step of the way and I got out of the marriage 2 ½ years later.

What I experienced with my ex-husband was very personal, and I'm sure no one would blame me if I never spoke of it again. In fact, some people would probably prefer that I didn't. If so, I'm sorry, but God wouldn't let me get away with that. He has pushed me, just as He did Bethany Hamilton in the movie Soul Surfer, to use my pain to show others that the hope I found in Him can be their hope as well. That was no small feat for someone who was as shy and reserved as I used to be.

I have become passionate about educating people about emotionally abusive relationships and encouraging healthy family ties. Since that day in 2006, I have been blessed in so many ways and have been open about the fact that my blessings have nothing to do with luck and everything to do with trusting in God. People who have watched my life unfold these last five years know there is something bigger than me at work here, whether they want to admit that or not.

I believe very strongly that we don't go through life's trials just to keep its lessons to ourselves. Sarah, a youth group leader in the movie Soul Surfer put it nicely when she said that sometimes we need to get a different perspective to see what God is doing. When we are too close to a situation, we can only see it from our own perspective.

If only more people could look at their lives that way and realize this life is not all there is and everything happens for a reason. Again, that may sound trite, but I have found it to be true over and over again.

Genesis 50:20 comes to mind. “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” The saving of lives may not be literal, but you never know when your message of hope could be saving a soul.

When hardship comes your way, will you withdraw into your own world? Or will you be willing to look at the bigger picture and know that God does have a purpose in the midst of your pain? Choose your answers to these questions wisely, for they will determine whether your experience will be a triumph or a tragedy.