Giving to Others

Thirteen-year-old Bethany Hamilton grew up loving the ocean and dreamed of becoming a professional surfer
since she was a young child. She entered her first surf competition at the age of eight and eventually won all her heats and division championships. Her family live on the beautiful island of Kauai, Hawaii. Her parents do not have much; her dad is a waiter, and her mom cleans rental condos, but they sacrificed for Bethany’s training and competitions. Yet one Halloween morning in 2003 changed Bethany’s life forever. She was enjoying the morning out on the sparkling ocean when in seconds, a shark suddenly came up and bit her arm and a large mass of her surfboard. Bethany lost her entire left arm that day.
It was a great shock to her and her family, but Bethany’s strong faith in God carried her through the ordeal. She was amazed to see how much her family, friends, community members and people she did not know all over the country, wrote, prayed, and donated money to help her. Her entire island joined together for a silent auction and raised $75,000. Bethany said she came so close to losing everything she loved the most — the ocean, her family and her friends.
When Bethany learned of a young boy named Logan, who also lost his arm, she eagerly called him to give a word of encouragement through his difficult time. He was also athletic, but his sport was wakeboarding. She told him that he could still do many things with his life and that he would. She shared with him that she would be surfing in the national finals with one arm. After their conversation, Logan felt much better about his situatuion. Bethany says, “Moments like this make me think I may be able to do more having one arm than when I had two. . . . If I can help other people find hope in God, then that is worth whatever I’ve lost.”
Bethany was amazed at how so many people rallied together to help her and now she sees the blessing in helping others. After all she has been through, Bethany says it was worth it if she can give others hope in God. This spirit of helping other is really what the love of God is all about. A word of kindness, a helping hand, a gift to the poor, will multiply in blessing those around us. Helping others with true, unselfish love is what really counts. It means to help those in need without expecting anything in return. Our true acts of kindness will not go unnoticed. God himself promises to bless us in ways we never imagined. “He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again” (Proverbs 19:17). Bethany’s story is an inspiration for all us to be able to overcome obstables and help those in need, sharing God’s love to others.
Ly Lan Nguyen