Surf's Up

In all our endeavors, in the everyday decisions and activities in which we participate, we can know
that God is with us, giving us strength and direction. Paul stated in Philippians 3:
13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.

We will have our unique trials that we encounter, but we can know that He is at work through those instances, showing us the way in which we can walk, and developing inner traits that are consistent with His character.  He gives us wisdom to see how we can navigate the challenges and the changes of life; perhaps resulting in a "new normal" in our lives.  But, we are being molded by Christ to be more like Himself, even though circumstances may be altered.

+++++

The Bible teaches us the principles to persevere, to continue to trust in Christ through the difficulties we experience; even though weariness can set in, we can be encouraged in the Lord.
Galatians 6 states:
9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

The film is still among the top movies the Christian genre, according to Box Office Mojo, outdistancing Courageous, Fireproof, God's Not Dead 2, and The Case for Christ.  When it arrived in theaters in 2011, the movie Soul Surfer did almost $44 million at the box office, and it's #12 in the genre.

You may be familiar with the film - it's about champion surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost one of her arms in a shark attack.  And, it portrays how the Lord gave her strength, even in the midst of this huge trial.  Phil Boatwright, writing for Baptist Press, recounted an moment from his visit to the set:

During an interview session, reporters were astounded by the then-19-year-old's answer to the following question: "The Lord has used this incident in your life to help others, but if you could go back to that day, would you have stayed out of the water?"

"Umm ... no," she thoughtfully began. "It was God's will for it to happen. So much good has come out of what seems like a terrible thing, and it's been an amazing journey. I'm still doing what I want to do. More than what I ever dreamed of. And I know that God's in control, that this has been a part of His plan."

Fast-forward now - Bethany is a wife and mother and is still surfing.  A new documentary, Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable, enters theaters today.  Boatwright says that the film is "more about Bethany's determination to overcome the waves than about her spiritual growth." He says, "But while it speaks to young women about self-empowerment, the documentary also offers a pronounced philosophy concerning overcoming and succeeding."

But, Bethany Hamilton continues to be an inspiration and people who discover more about her in this new film may want to take a look at Soul Surfer or a 2007 documentary Boatwright mentions called, Heart of a Soul Surfer. 

Variety mentions that the film "highlights what Hamilton said she has always been: an athlete with ambitions to compete at the highest level of the sport and riding some of the most dangerous waves in the world, like at Pe’ahi, or 'Jaws' on the island of Maui, where waves can reach upwards of 80 feet. Surfing — and filming — those waves were no easy tasks."  The article notes:

In the film, Hamilton trains obsessively to not only conquer Jaws but also compete at various World Surf League women’s championship tour contests in California and Fiji, all with husband, Adam Dirks, and son, Tobias, in tow (she gave birth to her second son, Wesley, last year).

And, in other movie news, the pro-life film Unplanned makes its debut in Canada today.  LifeNews.com reports:

Cineplex CEO Ellis Jacob said he believes strongly in the freedom of expression even when the position is unpopular, according to The Globe and Mail.

His and other theaters across Canada are being pressured into canceling the film, which is slated to open Friday. One theater did cancel the planned showing after it said its staff received violent threats.

Jacob, in a statement, said, "Canada is a country that believes in and rallies behind freedom of expression, but that isn’t always an easy thing to do and it certainly doesn’t always make you popular,” adding, “In this instance many of us will have to set aside our own personal beliefs and remember that living in a country that censors content, opinions and points of view because they are different from our own is not a country that any of us want to live in.”  According to the article, the film will open in "about two dozen theaters across Canada."

Abby Johnson, whose story is told in Unplanned, as well as Bethany Hamilton, are highly-regarded in the faith community.  Their lives and challenges are different, but they have both shown a tremendous resiliency and faith in Christ.

I think that developing resiliency is important - we can allow the circumstances of life to overwhelm us and maybe even cause us to want to give up.  But, God calls us to a life of perseverance, appropriating His strength and pressing through.  That can be the attitude we develop when we encounter adversity: we can recognize that He is at work and He will work through us to bring about His desired outcome in our challenges.

There is great power in determination.  Discouragement is a powerful emotion, and we will have to deal with it from time to time.  We can remember that even though things may look bleak, He has made His resources available in order that we might be at peace.

And, there may be the "new normals" we encounter.  Certainly, Bethany Hamilton could tell us about that.  Even though she lost an arm, which is devastating, she continued to pursue what God had called her to do, to engage in competitive surfing.  Abby Johnson walked away from a job and into another career, pulling others out of the objectionable profession in which she had excelled.  A loss may result in a new normal, but God is total sufficient.