Shooting For Bethany Hamilton’s Beautifully Flawed Foundation ; Understanding why God allows adversity

I got the honor to photograph for Bethany Hamilton’s beautifully flawed foundation this summer which taught me a lot about overcoming impossible challenges & trusting in God’s will.

Bethany Hamilton is professional surfer from Hawaii, who lost her arm to a 14 foot Tiger Shark. The attack happened when she was only 14 years old, on Halloween 2003 at Tunnels Beach, Kaua’i.

“we don’t have control of what happens in the world, but we do get to chose how we respond” 📸 : @lieberfilms - pulled from instagram @unstoppablethefilm

Despite loosing her arm, she was back surfing only 1 month later and going on to winning her first national surfing title 2 years after the attack.

I found out about Bethany through the movie “Soul Surfer” with AnnaSophia Robb playing as Bethany & Carrie Underwood as Bethany’s mentor, Sarah. I was 13 years old in 2011 when it came out. Watching it left a deep impression on me, I bawled my eyes out during the film, watching Bethany persevere through the most life-altering experience. I could never imagine loosing a limb, especially as a surfer — that feeling of “I can no longer enjoy my passion now that I have a disability” and that being so attached to her identity maybe feeling as if she had lost a part of herself.

I never knew I would somehow relate to Bethany’s story even in some small way. In 2019 I was diagnosed with a brain tumor, where I then met a naturopathic doctor who invited me to come live on her farm in Kaua’i & begin a clinical trial of medication of cancer medicine which unfortunately resulted in me loosing the feeling in my feet (neuropathy).

Neuropathy is no where near the same as loosing a limb, but I still felt I lost part of who I was. Growing up athletic, I could no longer preform any physical activity without extricating pain and imbalances. Feeling depressed as i’d just moved to Hawai’i and I could not surf, I could not run, jump, or even stand in one place for more than a minute.

Despite developing a disability, I always looked to Bethany as my hero, an angel who would never know I existed — I watched her documentary “Unstoppable” in 2020, I bawled even more — relating more closely to her story than ever.

In this documentary, it shows the real Bethany Hamilton, she is now a woman — who’s undergone countless ups and downs, but her faith in God remaining strong throughout all these years.

Bethany is now a mother of 4. She just recently had her first daughter after 3 sons.

Bethany created the Beautifully Flawed foundation which joins women with limb-differences, to gather together and learn The Gospel & surf how to surf in Hawaii.

I met the real Sarah (not Carrie Underwood) at a local church I was attending. She was telling me about how she was so busy coordinating for The Beautifully Flawed Foundation & that she needed one more photographer — I showed her my website & she hired me on the spot! I was mind blown! I never would have thought i’d ever get to met Bethany let alone work for her team.

The shoot day began at 8am sharp. The Beautifully Flawed Foundation all met at the beach together, where Bethany Hamilton & the other leaders where there sharing a message of hope & encouragement. Then, the leaders divided the groups apart to begin learning how to stand up on the boards on the sand. Half an hour later, they took the groups into the water and began catching waves!

I was in the water myself, with no water-housing for my Sony, I held my baby high in my arms and jumped over each wave as it came crashing in.

I was holding back tears as I watched these young women catch waves nearly effortlessly, gliding by with huge smiles on their sun kissed faces.

This event shifted something in my perspective. Despite adversity, despite the impossible — God provides us with the strength to overcome any challange.

So many nights, alone and in chronic pain from the neuropathy, barely able to wiggle my toes crying out to God — why? Why this pain?

So many times I wanted to give up. But I kept following Bethany’s story, and diving deeper into The Word. It didn’t always make sense to me they always say, “God is good, all the time, God is good.” Is God really good all the time? Then why would He allow Bethany to lose her arm, or any of these women to loose limbs… or for me to develop neuropathy?

What is the reason for our pain?

God gave us the power of Free Will ; which allows us to live in a world of both Good & Evil. With this view in mind, it reminds us that natural events like cancer and shark attacks are a consequence of living in the natural world.

If God gave us all the right answers, if nothing bad ever happened to us — how would we learn? This is a hard pill for many with trauma to swallow. Especially with something as life-altering as constant 24/7 pain or adapting to a new life with a lost limb. Without all the right answers we’re forced to learn, grow, sit in our pain, find grace within it. Grow in our Faith & understanding in God.

Here’s a few of my favorite verses in the bible that have helped me find peace through the storm of chronic pain:

Romans 5:3–5

We rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Psalm 34:17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.

Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Philippians 4:6–7, Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Richaperture.com