Bonding Time

My house saw some serious action on Sunday. We had invited some people from our church to come for lunch. This house has rarely seen this many children at one time! It was a lot of fun, and as usual, God taught me some things!

One family has a young boy who they have recently adopted from China. He is rapidly learning the language and to be a part of his new family. He is smart, curious, and all boy!

We fed the young children first and then had a second seating of older kids and adults. During this time he went to his Mom and was looking for her attention. I offered to hold him so she could finish eating. She explained that, for a period of time, the family members were to be the only ones who held him or cared for him. They do this so he will bond with them and learn to trust them. (For those of you are concerned about her, the Mom did get to eat in peace as one of his older siblings stepped in and occupied him while she ate.)

I was thinking about this practice today. It occurred to me that it is a principle that Gods sometimes uses with His children. When I first came to know the Lord my children were in Junior High. My husband had previously convinced me that we should Homeschool them and so we had already pulled them out of public school, I quit my job, AND we changed churches all  in the same year! My whole social structure was taken out from under me and I was at home with two children, doing work I had never done before.

God taught me a lot that year! I was hungry and read all the time. As my children worked on school work, I studied the Bible and got closer and closer to the Lord. Interestingly, I also got closer to my children. God used that time to teach me about him and to pull our family closer together.

He also did this for the Apostle Paul after he was saved on the road to Damascus. The book of Galatians tells us that Paul went away to Arabia (Galatians 1:17-18) for three years and then returned to Damascus. Acts 9 tells us that when he came back he was preaching the Truth about Christ.  (Acts 9:20)

Often times it seems we feel like God has abandoned us when He leaves us alone or with a small group of close people. As for me, He took that time and offered me some good teaching as He grew my faith. For Paul, He clearly directed his ministry to the Gentiles and when Paul went back to Damascus God moved him on, paired him with Barnabas, and sent him out to preach the good news of Jesus Christ.

These times of bonding with God are  important. Though they feel lonesome, He is not absent, He is with us. He does not want us to be held or carried by another, He wants us to know He is trustworthy and for us to get to know Him before He sends us out. What a great picture of our God this adoptive family is offering this young boy.

It would appear that my alone time of bonding is over (though the bonding never stops). If yours is not, if you “feel” alone, take heed:  you are not. Cherish this time, wallow in it as long as He leaves you there. He is drawing you close, teaching you to trust Him. Dig into His Word, learn His language, talk to Him in prayer, and He will prepare you for the work – and the people – He is calling you to.

Other, lesser, gods may offer to hold you through this time. Turn them down. There is One God who will direct your path — give Him time to prove Himself trustworthy.

If the adoption of this little one from China is interesting to you, you can check out his progress at  www.journey2home.com.