"Friends of Bethany." 

Bethany Hamilton has become a source of inspiration to millions of people through her story of determination, faith and hope. At the age of thirteen, Bethany lost her left arm to a 14-foot tiger shark, which seemed to end her career as a rising surf star. However, one month after the attack, Bethany returned to the water and within two years she had won her first National title. In 2007, she realized her dream of surfing professionally. Since then her story has been told in a bestselling autobiography and in the 2011 film ‘Soul Surfer’. Bethany is now involved in numerous charitable efforts, including her own foundation; ‘Friends of Bethany,’ which reaches out to amputees and youth, encouraging a broken world by offering hope to overcome through Jesus Christ.

Reflecting on the shark attack she said, "Today I'm thankful to be alive! I look back and would not change that day otherwise. God can truly turn pain into beauty. We can grow through our hard times and overcome." Through her experience Bethany discovered the truth of 1 Timothy 1:1, where the Apostle Paul explicitly refers to Jesus as our hope in his epistle to Timothy: "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope"

Her story is one of real hope and offers hope to each one of us regardless of our circumstances, situations and whatever difficult or dark part of the path of life we may be trying to navigate. Let me encourage you to never lose hope because Jesus stands on the path waiting for you to take hold of his outstretched hand to lead you forward. His hope is one that provides a pathway to salvation and eternal life, assuring us that even in trials, God’s love and mercy are steadfast (Romans 5:1-2. 1 Peter 1:3). Let me encourage you to take hold of Jesus’ hand for when you do, like Bethany you will discover that His hope is also transformative, giving courage, joy, and endurance in the face of life’s challenges (Romans 8:24-25, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

Keith
1st September 2026