No I’m not going to talk about the Beach Boys, though I have to admit that I like them pretty well as far as oldies music goes; I’m going to talk about my daughter–who is going through a phase sparked by the movie Soul Surfer. Overnight she went from an animal-loving, compliant, never-going-to-leave-home Mama’s girl to Laura Bethany Hamilton, as her little brother likes to call her… she is Hawaii-crazy and wants to move there (or to Dallas), if we ever move. She checks out library books about Hawaii, has a ripcurl swim top that she bought with her own money and pretty much eats, sleeps and breathes the waves. Hard to do in West Texas–you have to admire the girl’s spunk! What I love about it all is that Bethany Hamilton is an amazing role model for my daughter. I love she has chosen her as her “idol” because Bethany loves Jesus and is not afraid to say it out loud. I love that she is not afraid to leave home anymore–she has a dream. A dream that involves a tropical paradise where I am surer than anything that He can use her to minister to the surfing community.
So this past weekend we watched a surfing documentary–she all of it, me parts of it. She sat mesmerized (why does that spelling look wrong) as many of the surfers she had read about in her book came to life on the screen, including one she had drawn–laboring over him for months to get every facial feature just so. And it was a pretty interesting documentary. The skill of some of these men and women is just incredible and unnerving. But toward the end, one of the surfers joyously proclaimed, “This is what it’s all about!” And I thought to myself, “No. No it’s really not.” But not wanting to ruin the moment for my daughter, who I know knows that it’s not all about surfing, I just kept that thought to myself. When it was over, she asked me if I wanted to watch something and since I was warmed up and in official surf mode myself–at least, in my mind— I decided to bring a smile to her face and told her to fire up Soul Surfer. The dvd she keeps in her room because it is so special to her. Now this is what it’s all about.
I love this movie because it shows how a girl so passionate about her sport–she was practically born surfing– discovers that He has the bigger picture and that if she relies on Him, He will use her gifts and talents and especially her weaknesses to glorify Himself. If you haven’t heard about Bethany, she was attacked by a tiger shark 7 years ago, at the age of 13–LB’s age. She knew instantly that though she lost most of her arm, she couldn’t go on not surfing. She had to surf. And with Christ’s help, she would continue surfing and pursue her dream of going pro. And she does it! He does it through her. And so much more. He teaches her that it is His love is “what it’s all about” and that surfing is just a vehicle, just a platform for her to make Him known. It is amazing to watch her surf (and I’m only into surfing because I love my daughter.)
My daughter inspires me like Bethany inspires her. It is so hard to put into words but she is everything I could ever have wanted in a daughter. She knows that when I was pregnant with her, I wanted a boy, just because I didn’t know how to fix a girl’s hair (still don’t) or do anything girly after having her brother. But the moment she was born, I was in love with this sweet little bundle who doesn’t like pink after all and currently won’t wear anything faintly resembling a dress unless she is forced to. I love her because she is real, she makes me laugh at myself, she loves unconditionally with a passion and she listens to the Holy Spirit. Laura is one of those kids that everybody likes but not because she is a pushover. She is kind and respectful and not afraid to tell someone to “knock it off” because they are being rude to someone else. And yet she knows when to walk away. She is never looking for a fight. She knows how to forgive. She is not afraid to stand up for her beliefs or her Lord. But she wants everyone to know Him. And that inspires and encourages me daily.
I know that God has big plans for this girl. And I am oh so blessed to be her mama.
Decidedly Different 