Do you like going to the movies? I love a good movie and our family is always in search of something to rent or go see in the theater. Last night I had the privilege to preview the movie Soul Surfer which releases April 8th. I strongly encourage you to check it out. It is based on the true life story of surfer Bethany Hamilton who lost her arm to a shark attack at 13 years old. The amazing part of the story isn’t that she learned to surf again, although it is impressive to watch. Even her survival isn’t the big surprise, but the way she survived. Long before Bethany was attacked by a shark, she had a strong faith. She attended church and she knew the Word of God. Whenever she would face difficulties in life her dad would remind her of Philippians 4:13 “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” When the shark attack came, she drew from the deep well of the Word and her faith in Christ to pull her through it, even when it didn’t make sense to her. There were times when she questioned the “do everything” but she trusted in God to reveal how it would happen, because His Word promised it. Have you ever faced extreme circumstances that would shake the ground out from under your average person? If so, what did you cling to? What got you through it? I can say from experience, you can only hold onto that which you have. Bethany had Jesus and she clung to Him through her crisis. Her parents made sure they made deposits of Jesus in her life and when she needed Him, He was there waiting on her to carry her through and show her how she could do everything through Him. Bethany was able to survive the emotional trauma, through Him. She was able to surf again, through Him. But most importantly, through Him, she was able to see how He took horrible circumstances and turned them into something beautiful [Romans 8:28]. He never changed the calling on her life, it just looked a little different than she had envisioned it, but she reached many more people and had a bigger platform to stand on than she ever did before. No matter what your circumstances are right now, He can do the same for you. If things are going well today, use the time to make deep deposits into your heart and soul so you have Him there to draw from whenever trouble comes your way. If you’re in the midst of crisis, hang on to Jesus. He’s right there!

SOUL SURFER opens in theaters nationally on April 8th!