Shark week!!!

As you may well be aware, this past week on the Discovery Channel was none other than….SHARK WEEK. Clearly known as one of the best weeks on television, Shark Week is amazing, non-stop shark footage for an entire week straight. There are countdowns of the top 10 deadliest sharks, speculation and testing of what makes sharks eat, hunt, and act the way they do, and there are stories of real life shark attacks and interviews with the survivors. It is a fascinating week, and I love it.

By the end of Shark Week I had DVR’d to my heart’s content and was left with plenty of spill-over content for the next week. I decided to take a break for the weekend and fill up with some fun activities, particularly activities that take place on terra firma. I hung out with friends. I went for walks. I stayed away from any mass of water more than a foot deep that might possibly have a creature with teeth hiding in it. It was a great weekend! After church, more activities, and chores, my roommate and I decided to close out the weekend with a laid back movie. We ran to Redbox and what did we get? Soul Surfer. The true story of a 13-year old girl who was surfing in Hawaii when she was bit by a tiger shark, and went back to surfing after the attack.

Now, if you haven’t seen this movie, your first order of business is to go out and see the movie. Released in select theatres only, this movie came out last year and starred AnnaSophia Robb, Helen Hunt, Dennis Quaid, and Carrie Underwood. It’s a fantastic story of hope, perseverance, and overcoming disparaging odds. But one part of the movie specifically caught my attention – and that was the shark attack. I won’t give any spoiler alerts here, but the attack was quick and clean. The shark took off Bethany’s arm in a clean swipe, and went away. (That really isn’t a spoiler. The movie, the real story, is about what happens after the attack.) This may sound strange, but it really reminded me that God is in control. That shark could have fought Bethany. Continually attacked her. After watching Shark Week, I can tell you that happens. Not all survivors are so fortunate as Bethany. But it’s almost like God said to the shark, “Ok – the arm. That’s it. Nothing else. Not one more bite.” And it made me think of what is going on in my life, and in the world around us, and it comforted me.

You see, the DOW dropped 500 points last week. Today it dropped another 400. I’ll be honest, I’m afraid. Are we heading into not just another recession, but another great depression? What will change in our lives? Will owning a house or going on vacations be a thing of the past? What about schools and jobs and degrees and careers? How are things going to change around us? But I think of Bethany… and I think of that shark… and I think, you know? God really has got things in control. Whatever happens, God is still in control.

A few scriptures came into my mind, and gave me peace. The bold indications are mine:

Isaiah 7:9 is God speaking and in it He says, “If you want me to protect you, learn to believe what I say.”

Psalm 56: 3-4a says, “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word) in God I have put my trust; I will not fear.”

Psalm 94:19 says, “In the multitude of my anxieties within me, your comforts delight my soul.”


These, words from God found in the Bible, comfort me and give me strength and peace. Whatever happens – to our economy, to our way of living, to us, I know that God is in control. He did not promise us comfort – this world is not even our home. But God did promise to be with us. And I will end this blog with one of my favorite scriptures:

“And, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” - Matthew 28:20b