Karen and I attended a great training session Tuesday night as we move on in our journey to becoming the forever family for two to three precious kids [in the lingo, that means adoptive parents.]  The topic was “Attachment Issues & Intervention Strategies.”  Wikipedia defines Attachment in Children as:

“A theory of attachment between children and their caregivers specifically addressing the behaviors and emotions that children direct toward familiar adults.”

The training dealt with how children attach to parents (biological and adoptive), hindrances to that attachment, and techniques to address the challenges.  It was really informative, especially as we prepare for the time when we have kids and seek to nurture and help them with the unique challenges they may face.  On the drive home, we talked about how any parent would benefit from this (and the other) training we’ve received.  We also talked about the rest of this post…

Here’s the thing.

As I sat in the classroom, absorbing the information and taking notes, my mind immediately began to see parallels to our relationship with God – our attachment to our Heavenly Father.  So much so that I, of course, wanted to post about it.  I share the things below as an encouragement and reminder for those who consider God as their Heavenly Father.

Before reading on, take a few minutes to read these passages:

Deuteronomy 31:8; Psalm 23; Psalm 61:2-4; Psalm 91:3-5; Psalm 139:1-16; Isaiah 49:15-16; Matthew 6:26

From the presentation:

Information about attachment theory in children:

• “When I am close to my loved one I feel good, when I am far away I am anxious, sad, or lonely.”
• Attachment is mediated by looking, hearing, and holding.
• “When I am held, I feel warm, safe, and comforted.”
  
• Results in a relaxed state so that one can, again, begin to explore.
  

Secure or good attachment is best assessed in times of stress and when one is upset.

Children need both a:

• Secure Base: “Watch over me, Help me, enjoy life with me.”
• Secure Haven: “Protect me, comfort me, delight in me, organize my feelings.”

Insecure or Anxious Attachment is manifested in:

• Anxious about caregiver’s availability.
  
• Afraid that caregiver will be unresponsive or ineffective in providing comfort.

Now, re-read the passages and know without a shadow of a doubt that they are true.  God, our Heavenly Father, is amazing, faithful, caring, loving, gracious, comforting, shepherding, powerful, and so much more than a mere list of adjectives on some irrelevant blog can describe.

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If you don’t consider God as your Heavenly Father, the truth is that He is real.  He created you and loves you in a profound way that isn’t really explainable in human terms or understanding.  He is the perfect father – incomparable to any earthly father (the best or the worst).  Know that God loves you and gave His Son (Jesus) to pay the price for our sin.  He desires our…your “attachment”.