Bethany Hamilton

(famoushomeschoolers.net)

Bethany did what most of us would never even dream of. I don't know about you but I am terrified of sharks, and I don't think I would ever get back into the water again if this happened to me. I like to think of myself as a strong Christian girl, but she says that she couldn't be doing what she is right now without the strength the Lord gives her. She is truly inspiring, and makes me want to do better in life, because I could do so much more than I am now. She also says that her family was very supportive, and I think we could have all used as much support as we could get in a time like that.

Bethany grew up always surfing, she and her family did it all of the time. Though they always knew there was risk of a shark attack, it is so low, I doubt they ever thought it would ever actually happen to them. Only a few people are attacked by sharks each year, and Bethany was one of the unlucky few. However i suppose that this has just made the bond between her and God even stronger than before. That just tells us that God works in very interesting ways. Even if we don't always know how things will turn out, but in the end it always goes as he planned.

All of this happened to Bethany when she was only 13 years old. She still over came this struggle at such a young age, she says that she doesn't even hold a grudge against the shark that attacked her. She believed that she was in its home, and it was just looking for food. I would want the shark dead for what it did to me, but it just shows you what a sense of forgiveness and understanding that she has. What happened to her has not made her bitter at all, she is still a happy and thankful christian girl. Bethany is not my hero because she was attacked by a shark and lived. She is my hero because of how she overcame it, and used it to strengthen her love for the Lord and her life.