Bethany Hamilton is a professional surfer who had her arm bitten off by a large tiger shark when she was thirteen years old. Now in her thirties, Bethany not only continues to surf — she still competes at the very top level of the sport. A Hollywood film about her life called Soul Surfer was made in her honor, and there is a documentary about her titled Unstoppable that I highly recommend.

Several years ago, Bethany came to an annual charity fundraiser race in our area called the "Never Quit Challenge" and spoke at an evening event. When she was asked whether — if she could do that day over — she would stay out of the water, her answer was simply: "No. I'd do it all the same." Her reasoning was that the accident gave her an amazing platform to share a word of hope and inspiration with others — especially the young girls who look up to her.

Knowing the challenges young people face, Bethany said this in her message: "All of us face things in our life that make us want to quit — to give up. But you need to know that just as God had a plan for my life, God has a plan for you as well. God loves us. God loves you."

What strikes me most about Bethany's story is not her athleticism or even her courage — it is her willingness to let the worst day of her life become something redemptive. That is not something she manufactured on her own. That is what grace looks like when it gets into a willing heart.

Prayer: Loving God, we thank you for people like Bethany Hamilton who inspire us. We thank you for the way her faith helped her overcome tremendous adversity, and for the way you have worked that adversity into a beautiful message of love and hope. I pray today for those who are facing tremendous challenges in their own lives. Grant them faith, courage, and strength enough for this day. We ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

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Today’s message was written by the founder of Dial Hope, the Rev. Roger Kunkel

One of my favorite movies is "Forest Gump" which came to the theaters over 10 years ago. It literally took America by storm! Do you remember these Forest Gump sayings: "Stupid is as stupid does," and "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get." If you'll pardon the pun, I want to suggest that we need more Christian Gumption. The word Christian means Christlike, and the word gumption means boldness, courage, wisdom, resourcefulness, strength. Forest Gump has a simple faith in which he lives boldly. He lives life unselfishly. He loves people unconditionally. He trusts God unreservedly. That basic outline is not only a summation of Forrest Gump's life, it also is a pretty good synopsis of the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. 

When Jesus says things, such as "Be humble-minded," "Be obedient," "Be merciful," "Be pure in heart," Be peacemakers," "Be the salt of the earth and light of the world," "Turn the other cheek," "Go the second mile," "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you," he means "Have Christian Gumption." Be bold and confident and courageous and strong. Live boldly in the spirit of Christ and trust God to bring it outright. In other words, live life unselfishly! Love people unconditionally! Trust God unreservedly! Trust God.  

Let us pray: Loving God of song and saga, of earth and history, we thank you for the rich heritage of our nation; for pilgrim's feet and patriot's dream; for fruited plain and purple mountains majesty, for universities and churches; for Indian and Scottish and Irish and Italian and Chinese and Puerto Rican and Slavic and Greek; for Protestant and Catholic and Jew, and Mormon, Amish, Mennonite, and Muslim. We pray for the dedication to keep the dream alive, the dream to deepen the sense of communication among races and individuals. Let the spirit of Christ unite our hearts and minds that we may praise you forever. Transform our attitudes, so that we live in excitement and expectation. Teach us to stand on tiptoe, listening for your voice and looking for the evidence of your presence, yes, even in our pain, our hurt, our illness. Anoint every listener with unexpected grace, especially those struggling to be whole. Bless us now so we may be a blessing to others, in Jesus' name. Amen. 

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Billy Strayhorn tells about a nature show he once saw about black bears. A particular cub had been orphaned and later adopted by a new mama bear. At some point the two became separated, and the cub began to cry, wandering about and looking everywhere for his new mother. Then, just as he approached a stream, he looked up to see a mountain lion ready to pounce.

The camera zoomed in on the cub as he did what bears do when threatened — he stood on his hind legs and bared his teeth. He let loose a growl that should have shaken the trees. But only a tiny bear cub squeak came out. Just when it seemed the mountain lion was ready to have the cub for lunch, the big cat lowered his head and ran off in the opposite direction.

The camera panned back to the proud little cub, still standing tall on his hind legs. And then the viewers were able to see what the cub could not see: a few yards behind him, at full ferocious height, sharp white teeth bared in a snarl, stood mama bear. She hadn't even made a sound. But she was there.

Strayhorn reflects, "Even though the cub couldn't see his mother, she stood guard, protecting her young. The little cub had power available to him greater than anything he could produce on his own. There was a greater power watching over him."

The cub didn't know mama bear was there. He only knew he was afraid — and that somehow, in that moment, it was enough to stand his ground. That is sometimes how faith works. We don't always feel the presence of God behind us. We don't always see what is standing guard. But we are invited to stand anyway — and trust that we are not as alone as we feel.

You are not facing what you are facing alone. There is a greater power standing behind you — closer than you know, and bigger than whatever it is in front of you.

Prayer: Loving God, in those anxious, fearful moments, help us turn to you. Remind us to draw our strength, courage, and wisdom from you. Grant us the ability to trust. Ultimately we rest in your hands. Thank you, Lord. Amen.

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I remember a few years ago, one of my friends had a daughter who had just started dating. We were joking around about it. He said, "When she comes home from that first date, I'm going to be sitting on the front porch cleaning my shotgun." I said, "You don't even have a shotgun." He said, "I know. But I'm going to buy one just for the occasion!" We laughed. But underneath the laughter I could tell there was a legitimate sadness — a realization that his daughter was growing up, that she didn't need him the way she once did. She was no longer that little girl clinging to his legs.

That moment captured something most of us know but rarely say out loud. Things don't stay the same. Children grow up. Friends change. Some move away. Some pass away. We change. And even if we want to go back, we can't. That is not the way life works.

What we can do is appreciate what we have right now. We can practice gratitude for this moment, for the people around us today.

In one of his Dial Hope messages, my friend Roger Kunkel wrote about a sign he saw at a plant nursery. It said, "The best time to buy a tree was 20 years ago." Roger read that and thought, "Thanks a lot!" But on the back of the sign he noticed these words: "The second best time to buy a tree is today." Today.

That is true in life as well. If there are wrongs you need to amend, forgiveness you need to offer, things you need to let go of, people who need to hear how much you love them — don't wait for the perfect moment. We are so good at waiting for the right moment. But the right moment has a way of never quite arriving. Whatever it is — the phone call, the apology, the word of love long overdue — today is as good a day as any. 

Prayer: O God of ages past, O God of years to come, we sit now in your presence giving thanks for all the time you have given us — time with family and friends, times of tears and laughter, times of hardship and of joy. Even as we look back, help us to appreciate all that is around us even now. May we make the most of the time we have today. We ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

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Many years ago, when Johnny Carson was the host of The Tonight Show, he interviewed an eight-year-old boy who had rescued two friends from a coal mine near his hometown in West Virginia. As they talked, it became clear that the young boy was a Christian. At one point Johnny asked him whether he attended Sunday school. He said he did. So Johnny followed up: "What are you learning in Sunday school?"

"Last week our lesson was about when Jesus went to a wedding and turned water into wine."

The audience howled, but Johnny managed to keep a straight face. "And what did you learn from that story?"

The boy squirmed a little — it was apparent he hadn't thought about this. But then he lifted his face and said, "If you're going to have a wedding, make sure you invite Jesus!"

So funny. But also so true.

That little boy stumbled onto something profound. It's not just weddings that are better with Jesus at the center — it's friendships, marriages, families, workplaces, neighborhoods. Wherever we bring his presence, there is the possibility of transformation. The question worth asking today is simply this: which relationship in your life most needs that invitation?

Prayer: God of hope, we invite you into our relationships again this day. Bind us closer to one another and closer to you. We ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

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