Avis - Scoot over and make some room: creating a space where everyone belongs

PRAISE FOR SCOOT OVER AND MAKE SOME ROOM

Heather Avis and I have adoption in common. We have a child of another race in common. But most importantly, we have Jesus in common. I love how she uses her voice to spread Gods radical message that every single one of us is made in his image. If you let her, Heather will open your heart and mind to love deeper, and your life and our world will be better for it.

Korie Robertson of Duck Dynasty and author of Strong and Kind: Raising Kids of Character

Heather Avis is a trusted guide, a gifted truth-teller, and the kind of person who makes everyone around her better just by showing up. Scoot Over and Make Some Room does all of the same things. In her uniquely endearing way, Heather challenges us to pay attention to the people we are prone to ignore and, in so doing, provides us with a refreshing understanding of what it means to be human. This is the kind of book you cant stop reading but dont want to end.

Mandy Arioto, president and CEO of MOPS International

Scoot Over and Make Some Room is a beautiful reminder of the power of love when its generously shared with absolutely everybody. Heather Avis and her family are leading us by example. Youre going to love this book.

Maria Goff, author of Love Lives Here

In a day and age where we hear the loud message, Go after your dreams, whatever the cost! Heather Avis reminds us that the road to flourishing is sacrificially loving the least of our sisters and brothers, empathetically listening to the other, and humbly learning from those who are different from us.

Jessica Honegger, bestselling author of Imperfect Courage and founder of Noonday Collection

Heather Avis writes with humor, humility, and honesty about breaking out of her sweet little bubble to create a world that makes space for everyone. She refreshingly names injustice and invites readers to learn with her, not just from her. Be prepared to laugh, cry, and have some of your own behaviors and beliefs challenged.

Kathy Khang, activist, speaker, and author of Raise Your Voice

Scoot Over and Make Some Room is a book about radical lovelove that paints a vibrant narrative of family, challenging social norms, and harmful constructs while inviting us into an inclusive, more loving world.

Lisa Gungor, coleader of the musical collective Gungor and author of The Most Beautiful Thing Ive Seen

This book is the best! Heather Avis invites us into a sacred place with honesty and boldness as she proclaims truth about the equality of all people. As she shouts the worth of those who are differently abled, she isnt afraid to say the hard things and lay it all on the table as we make room in our hearts, our vocabulary, our homes, and our friendships for everyone we encounter.

Mica May, founder and CEO of May Designs

Scoot Over and Make Some Room is both memoir and prophetic invitation, woven together with humor and compassionate insight. Heather Aviss writing reminds us that everyone matters and that the world is a more beautiful place when we make room for the people who are often pushed to the margins.

Hillary McBride, therapist, researcher, author, and podcaster

If youve ever wondered how you can make a difference in the world, read this book. Heather Avis leads us with humility, honesty, and simple brilliance to demonstrate what it looks like to live a life of true love. She shows us that the way is simpler than we ever imagined and that it has the power to transform not only our own lives but also the shape of our communities and even the wider world. Dont miss this one.

Allison Fallon, bestselling author and founder of Find Your Voice

Making space for unexpected friendships requires intentionality and a willingness to get uncomfortable. Heather Avis finds the extraordinary in the most ordinary moments of everyday life, encouraging us to lean into challenging situations with an expectation that well be transformed in the process. Its when we come alongside and learn from those the world ignores that our hearts expand to love more deeply and justly. This book will warm the spirit and give a swift but gentle kick in the pants so we can all create places not just to live but to belong.

Jenny Yang, vice president of advocacy and policy at World Relief

Also by Heather Avis

The Lucky Few

ZONDERVAN

Scoot Over and Make Some Room

Copyright 2019 by Heather Avis

Requests for information should be addressed to:

Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546

ISBN 978-0-310-35483-3 (softcover)

ISBN 978-0-310-35485-7 (audio)

ISBN 978-0-310-35484-0 (ebook)

Epub Edition May 2019 9780310354840

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

Any internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

The author is represented by Alive Literary Agency, 7680 Goddard Street, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80920, www.aliveliterary.com.

Cover design: Curt Diepenhorst

Cover photography: Sami Lane

Interior design: Kait Lamphere

Printed in the United States of America

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Information about External Hyperlinks in this ebook

Please note that endnotes in this ebook may contain hyperlinks to external websites as part of bibliographic citations. These hyperlinks have not been activated by the publisher, who cannot verify the accuracy of these links beyond the date of publication.

To my three children

Macyn Hope, Truly Star, and August Ryker.

I have learned more from the three of you

in the past ten years

about love, forgiveness, bravery,

and what it means to truly be human

than I could have learned

in a lifetime without you.

Being your mom is the gift of my life.

CONTENTS

I m so grateful to have a friend like Heather Avis, for a million reasons, but at the top of the list is this: Heather inspires me to love people betterto open my heart wider, to include people who are often overlooked, to learn from people who offend me, to use my voice and my resources to advocate for people who deserve more esteem and love and dignity than our culture generally offers them.

Heather and I met in the international terminal of the Newark airport, late at night, in the middle of a blizzard. She was a friend of a friend, a last-minute addition to an international trip my mom and I had planned. Newark was the meeting point before a long flight to Tel Aviv, and the handful of us who made it there without issue now sat around a table trying to figure out what to do about the rest of our group, scattered and delayed at airports around the country.