I met the Beaty family some 18 years ago, just after we received a 5 lb, brown-skinned bundle of cuteness that we chose to name Halla. The name means “unexpected gift” in Africa. She was indeed that! With all of 4 hours notice, my husband and I dropped off our three oldest children at the house of some friends, borrowed the friends’ infant car seat, and drove excitedly to the local hospital where we were gifted a new baby daughter. She was so tiny then. And she had a head full of black hair, hair I didn’t quite know what to do with once it started to curl up tighter and thicken a great deal.
That’s why, when the Beatys first showed up as visitors at our church in Simpsonville and sat directly in front of us, I paid special attention to the adorable little twists Nechelle Beaty had constructed in her toddler’s hair. Kiarah, the eldest Beaty child, was maybe two years old at the time. Nechelle was pregnant with their second child, Karington.
Our friendship with the Beaty family was instantaneous. Over the nearly two decades we have known each other, we have been away on mountain retreats together, vacationed at the beach together, spent time with each other’s extended families at holiday events and family reunions, and spent many a late night playing games or just being silly together. We were there at the hospital when Kendall, Boo and Nechelle’s third child, was born. We were there at the courthouse for the adoption finalization when Kaitlyn and McKayla were officially made members of the family. We have shared many great times together with Boo and Nechelle and their children and created wonderful memories along the way.
Several years ago Mike and I hosted an adoption group through our church. Boo and Nechelle attended, expressing an interest in adopting a child. They believe, as we do, that the Christian community should be stepping up to the plate to live what we say we believe. If we value life we should do what we can to protect it. If we believe the Bible, we can’t ignore Jesus’s words about the true measure of one’s worship being so connected to caring for widows and orphans. Why, I wonder, do we not do this? What is it that stops those who say they believe these words from actually living them out? I think it comes down to fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of being uncomfortable. Fear of the messy.
Truly we live what we believe. It is one thing to say we believe something. But always – always our actions will express what it is we truly believe. I suppose this is where the old adage “actions speak louder than words” comes from. Talk is cheap. You live what you believe. I live what I believe. Our actions demonstrate this. Too bad the Christian community, as a whole, doesn’t seem to get that. Complacency is the norm. Comfort is #1. Fear is rooted in a lack of faith in a Sovereign God who holds all things in His hands. Whom shall I fear? Can you honestly say that…..whom shall I fear???
I can clearly see what the Beaty family believes. They are living it out. Not only through the fostering and adoption of two precious girls that come with the messiness all too common in the foster world, but in so many other ways where they give of themselves to meet the needs of others. Fear has no place in the midst of true faith. Their family is a living, moving, breathing portrayal of exactly that. What a beautiful family! What if the rest of the world lived like this? What if, instead of dwelling on the inane arguments our society bombards us with – arguments that are merely symptoms of much deeper issues – what if we chose instead to set our fear aside and live what we say we believe? What if we saved a child or two in the process and showed the world the gospel in doing so?
The world would be a much better place for sure! And it would be much more colorful!
Boldness is a great thing when it’s founded on truth!
Thank you to Boo and Nechelle and their sweet children for allowing Fourth Dimension Photography the privilege of capturing your beautiful family in photos! Thank you for living out loud what you believe. We love you guys!
To see more photos from the Beaty’s photoshoot, click here.