“Jesus.”
That’s the first thing that came out of Tiffany Johnson’s mouth after a shark attacked her in the pristine waters of the Bahamas.
Tiffany has a remarkable testimony of faith and trust in the Lord in the midst of everything she has gone through this past year. Just last summer, she and her husband, JJ, decided to go on a snorkeling excursion while on vacation. That’s when a shark dug into her arm. The first thing she thought of was their three children.
>> Watch Tiffany Johnson tell her story below, or hear her talk about her experience in this podcast.
Doctors were amazed that she survived the attack. She never fought infection when she was recovering and preparing for a prosthetic, and she’s never had a nightmare about her experience.
“[God] has protected our minds,” she said.
When Tiffany was in the hospital in the States, she understood more of His goodness when she was able to hug her children. She realized that she could still be a mother to them. She was overcome with thankfulness as God reminded her she was still alive.
She recently shared her story with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
When the shark attack happened, she said, she felt something bump into her and came face to face with the shark. She noticed her arm in its mouth as its eyes darted back and forth. In that moment, she felt her body shut down, but the strength of the Lord carried her through.
“I got the strength to keep fighting. Jesus gave me the strength,” Tiffany said.
Although her story is incredible, and the faithfulness of God is evident in her life, she still had challenges in the last year after losing a limb. She remembers going to wash her hands and realizing she’d have to adjust to a new normal.
It’s been an adjustment for JJ as well. He now has to do his daughters’ hair—as a bald man who grew up with brothers. After months of practice, he says he can do four different hair styles.
Together, he and Tiffany lean on God to carry them through.
“Your identity is in the Lord Jesus Christ … you’re not limited in the spiritual,” Tiffany mentioned.
