Abigail, the precious little girl you see above, has been causing quite the ruckus! And teaching lessons. I first ‘met’ her on April 12, 2013. A friend, Katrina, had created a facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/babyabigailfaith/) and made frequent comments about fund raising for her. Usually, I ignore the fund raising “schemes.” Friends will randomly share a link to a random someone who, for one or another reason, needs “help.” I ignore them because the friends who share them do not make reference that this is someone they know personally, or a close friend of their own knows personally. I worry about things like, “is this a scam?,” and “how old is this thing? are they still in need of help? Current updates, please.” I know this may sound cruel to many. But I only have so much money, and my own children to feed. So this is my process for elimination. But I know Katrina personally, and she knows Abigail and her family personally. This fund raiser was something she started. So, I was pretty much starting at the source.
When I first knew I wanted to start a photography business, I knew I wanted to start it by serving my community. For me, that was one of the most important things for my business to do. Give back. As my business is really beginning to take shape, I have been searching for ways to serve my community and had just scheduled a date to serve a local shelter. And then Abigail. I visited her facebook page and read the words, ‘Hemangioma & Vascular Malformations.’ I contacted Katrina immediately and we met that evening to discuss a 1 year photo shoot for Abigail. I spoke with Abigail’s mother, Jess, and we scheduled the shoot for the following Saturday, April 20. My excitement grew the closer to the date we got until I thought I would just burst.
Over the course of that week, many of Abigail’s family, friends, and other supporters contacted me to thank me for doing this amazing thing for Jess and her family. To me, this “amazing thing” seemed like nothing, not nearly enough. But it was EXACTLY what this family needed, it was a moral booster. It lifted their spirits and will help them to face the next challenge they face with hope and good expectations for the outcome. A photo shoot. A moral booster. Hope. A good future. Someone told me that Jess had just been upset that she was planning Abigail’s surgery over her first birthday rather than a 1st Birthday Party and…… Photo Shoot.
Many reading this story will choose to reject what I say next. That’s okay. I don’t expect everyone to see things my way, this is MY story and MY perspective…..and I’m not telling you the whole story (which is INCREDIBLE), anyway. It’s not all mine to tell. God was behind EVERYTHING that has happened to support and encourage this family. He choreographed all of it and has not yet missed a single detail. From before Abigail’s birth to now and all that is expected to occur, He has choreographed it all.
Two weeks ago (April 7), at church, my husband and I were given a book, ‘The Treasure Principle’ by Randy Alcorn. The first Treasure Principle in the book is: “God owns everything. I’m His money manager.” God helped me to realize the truth of this principle through Abigail and her family. The timing of the expression of her hearts hurt and desire reached God. Do you wanna’ hear a little secret? I don’t think I’m all that impressive a photographer. I pour over the work of others to determine what I need to improve on, comparatively. I know I’m good at what I do. I also know there are others whose work casts a long shadow over mine. But this photo session was not my gift to give. This photo session was God’s gift to the Haynes family. I was the tool He chose to use.
This shoot is one of THE BEST shoots ‘I’ have done. I sincerely appreciate the praise for my generosity to the Haynes family. But, when you look at a house you praise the carpenter not the hammer. God deserves ALL the praise. After all, this was and is His work of art.
Psalm 24:1 (ESV) “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein”
~Katie