Book Review: The Lucky Few by Heather Avis
If you’re looking for one good reason to read The Lucky Few by Heather Avis, you don’t have to look any further than the picture of her adorable family on the cover. And if you’re not totally convinced by their cuteness, check out her Instagram (@macymakesmyday) and you’ll be hooked for life. I thought that The Lucky Few would be a book mostly about adoption, but that’s only partly true. It’s a story about pain, loss, surrender and, ultimately, reward. I feel like reading it has changed me, and definitely the way I look at life.
Heather and Josh’s story started out like so many other married couples, hoping and planning for a houseful of children. But their plans got derailed when they discovered they couldn’t have children. They registered with a private agency, took all the classes and waited for their perfect baby to become available. Then a casual note from their social worker about a baby with Down Syndrome and a heart defect totally turned their lives around. It was a crazy idea, but Josh and Heather felt like God was calling them to something out of the ordinary. They said yes, and adopted sweet baby Macyn into their family. A few years later they adopted Truly through their county social services system. Then, they were approached by a young woman who asked them her to adopt her son when he was born. He, too, had been diagnosed with Down Syndrome and a heart defect. They adopted him when he was just a day old.
I admire people who adopt children. I think it’s so noble and, quite honestly, brave to take in a child that someone else doesn’t want, or can’t care for. To take in children that have disabilities, or need long-term care, or serious medical procedures is something else altogether. It would take a very special family to take in those children. Heather doesn’t gloss over the difficulties that they faced with the adoption process, struggles with children and even questions they asked God along the way. She was so open about it all. Heather writes in such a deeply personal way. My heart broke for her so many times as I read her story, but I also rejoiced so many times, too. I learned so many things, not just about the adoption process, but about the blessings God has for those who open their hearts to doing what He asks.
I don’t know if I will ever adopt a child. I don’t think it’s something that every person is even called to do. But, the question this book leaves me asking is, “What if God asked me to do something I never imagined I could do?” It’s hard for us to believe that God’s best for us sometimes comes through pain and suffering. We want everything in life to be wonderful and beautiful, but in this book, Heather reminds us that God’s plans are so much bigger than that. He waits for us off the beaten path, with blessings far greater than any we could ever imagine. It is the lucky few who allow Him to lead them there.
I have spent a lot of time lately contemplating thoughts along this same line. I want to have a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God, but He’s showing me that I need to be willing to go outside of my comfort zone for that. I want to come the place where I accept His will, even if it’s not what I would have wanted. Reading Josh and Heather’s story has shown me that God’s blessings are so much more than we can ever imagine if we are only willing to say yes to Him. As Heather puts it, “…when we finally allow God to gently push us toward the place where he’s waiting to be discovered.” It’s true that not everyone is willing to find that place, because it is hard, and it’s never perfect, and it’s sometimes messy. But it’s so much more than we could have found on our own. I really want to find what He has for me. I’m thankful that I read the story of such an inspirational family. I want to open my heart and my hands to finding God’s best even in the unlikely places. I want to be one of the lucky few.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own, and a favorable review was not required.
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