On October 31, 2003, thirteen-year-old Bethany Hamilton was surfing off the coast of Kauai, Hawaii, when a tiger shark bit off her left arm just below the shoulder. She nearly died from blood loss. But the story of what happened next is not primarily about surfing — it is about worship.
A Faith Already in Place
Hamilton grew up in a Christian household. Church, worship, and prayer were woven into her daily life. When she woke up in the hospital, one of her first responses was not anger or despair. She later described feeling a deep, settled peace — one she attributed to years of building a foundation in worship and faith before the crisis hit.
Within weeks of the attack, Hamilton was back in church, singing alongside her family. She could not clap. She could not raise both hands. But she stood and sang.
Returning to the Water
Hamilton returned to competitive surfing just one month after losing her arm. She went on to win national titles, surf professionally, and compete against the best in the world. But in interview after interview, she has pointed to worship and faith as the source of her resilience — not willpower.
She has shared that worship music played constantly in her home during recovery. It was not background noise. It was medicine. She described specific moments during worship at her church in Kauai where she felt "held" — as if the God she was singing to was physically present, steadying her through the grief and adjustment.
Beyond the Headlines
Hamilton's story has been told in books and films, but the worship dimension is often overlooked. She is not a person who happens to worship. She is a person whose entire response to catastrophe was shaped by a lifetime of worship. The surfboard gets the headlines, but the worship carried her.
What This Means for You
Worship is not just something you do on a Sunday. It is a discipline that builds resilience in you long before the crisis arrives. Bethany Hamilton did not start worshipping because she lost her arm. She was able to respond the way she did because worship was already the foundation of her life.