In 2003, thirteen-year-old Bethany Hamilton was lying on her surfboard off Hawaii with her left arm dangling in the water. A shark came up and attacked, pulling her back and forth. In two or three seconds her left arm was gone. A friend’s father pulled her to shore and tied a leash around her arm as a tourniquet. Less than a month later she told CNN that her family and her faith helped her stay positive. She was getting her stitches out and planned to paddle out on Thanksgiving Day. She said she wanted to catch the first wave on her own with no one else’s help. Loss doesn’t get the last word when hope is anchored in God.
