Trials, tribulations, and the different seasons of life come in all shapes and sizes. Well in the case of Bethany, wisdom does too. For those of you who may not know her by name, Bethany is a professional surfer who at the age of thirteen survived a shark attack but lost her left arm. Despite this sudden life change Bethany overcame her barriers and continues to surf and inspire others throughout her life to overcome their own challenges. Even at the young age of thirteen she saw her new existence not as a impossible situation but as an opportunity to grow, change, adapt and become something even more dynamic than she was before.

Think about it, when things are easy in life and you are cruising along smoothly… are you growing? Probably not. Growth seems to come with change, challenge and a sense of being uncomfortable. Growth isn’t always fun in the moment, like being a child and your body aches as you stretch and grow, so it is in adulthood with our character, our spirits and our souls.

Challenges are never smooth and easy because if they were we wouldn’t grow and the impact we have on the world around us would be minimal. It’s through challenge and trials that we are able to provide support, connection and comfort for those who are also facing challenging growth. Easy is boring, challenge brings growth and with growth comes new life.

Sarah Deats

Sarah Deats is a Behavioral Health Technician at RI International and the Hope Inc. Stories Inspiration Engineer.