Soul Surfer--the movie #2

This is an actual picture of Bethany Hamilton rather than the actress

 that played her in the movie.

Today I went and saw Soul Surfer again with my youngest daughter.  I was interested to know if it would be as stirring the second time around and sure enough I really enjoyed it again.  I would say that I enjoyed it as much the second time as I did the first time.

The strength of character, the world would say, that she showed was amazing.  The strength of her faith is what Christians would say.  Of course she had times of doubt and difficulty and wondering what God was doing with her and why it happened and pretty much the normal stuff.  But the movie seems to show that her trajectory was up up and away with just a couple times of doubt.  One line toward the end of the movie when she is asked by a journalist that if she could undo that day would she and she stops and thinks and says that she wouldn't change it because now she can "embrace more people with one arm than I could before with two", really made me think.  Instead of pity and despair she looked hard and found a way to grow in a different direction than anticipated.  That is what we should be looking for when we have rough times and when we have catastrophes. 

Once again I noticed that one of the songs used in the movie was written by Bethany, however; it is not on the soundtrack.  So I looked around and found it on Youtube and so have put it here for you to listen to.  You will notice a brief part toward the middle where Bethany herself quotes some scripture.  The actual singer is Natalie Rogers.

Fire Within written by Bethany Hamilton sang by Natalie Rogers:

A turning point for Bethany was when she went on a mission trip with her church to Thailand which had just a little while before been hit by the tsunami. 

There she learned that she wasn't the only one that had troubles and as she reached outside herself to help others she once again found herself.  Which does a good job of supporting what Spencer W. Kimball said:

Service to others deepens and sweetens this life while we are preparing to live in a better world. It is by serving that we learn how to serve. When we are engaged in the service of our fellowmen, not only do our deeds assist them, but we put our own problems in a fresher perspective. When we concern ourselves more with others, there is less time to be concerned with ourselves! In the midst of the miracle of serving, there is the promise of Jesus that by losing ourselves, we find ourselves! [See Matthew 10:39.]

Not only do we “find” ourselves in terms of acknowledging divine guidance in our lives, but the more we serve our fellowmen in appropriate ways, the more substance there is to our souls. We become more significant individuals as we serve others. We become more substantive as we serve others—indeed, it is easier to “find” ourselves because there is so much more of us to find!(The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, 250–51)

Here's a little bit of an article about Bethany written in Dec. 2007 a couple years after the accident.

Seventeen-year-old Bethany Hamilton has overcome long odds in her life. On Oct. 31, 2003, a 14-foot tiger shark attacked her near the coast of Kauai, Hawaii. During the accident, she lost an arm, and her goal of professional surfing was seemingly quashed. But Bethany was undeterred — her faith in God and determination to surf professionally inspired her with a positive attitude that continues to this day. Her motto: "Me, quit? No way!"

Ignoring the doubts of others, Bethany continued to pursue her dream of surfing as a pro. Since the shark attack, she has achieved participation in numerous final competitions and has won three contests. In August, at the first stop on the Hawaii National Scholastic Surfing Association circuit, she took first place in the Open Women's division, placing ahead of 2003-04 National Champion Carissa Moore. Still, she sees herself as more than a surfer. Bethany hopes to inspire others with her story and her faith in Christ.