Holes

Read Ephesians 2:1-10

            The other day, I celebrated my first birthday ever without those who brought me into this world. My Mom died six years ago; last year, my Dad passed away after almost ninety-six full years. I’m not asking for sympathy. I still have a brother, a husband, children and grandchildren and many friends to rejoice with on special occasions. But there is no doubt, the loss of my father has left a hole. I miss the one who has always been in my life.

            My heart has more holes. Two grandchildren who never got to grow up. Even though I don’t have memories with them, I feel like something is missing. As soon as I knew of their existence within their mothers, I prayed for them and speculated about what they would look like, act like, react to.  And yes, I have precious grands that have come after the losses, but they are each their own beings. One does not make up for the other. Each child, living or not, has a special place in me.

            There are other holes. A college roommate who has gone on to glory. Friends whose paths no longer cross mine. A son who has chosen not to include my husband and me in his life. Life is full of empty spaces left by ones we love, for many different reasons. We learn to go on without them. We celebrate what we have and enjoy what is available.

            The is one hole that each of us has that is different from the rest. Its filling is imperative. And only One can do that job. We all have a hollow place that only God can fill, a need that only He can satisfy. Many impersonators try to plug up the emptiness – human love, jobs, recreation, drugs. God has created people to need. He wants us to recognize and come to Him with our need.

            The greatest aspect of this necessity is that God Himself has provided the means to bridge the gap. Man is innately sinful – we cannot help but do wrong because we are, from the moment of our conception, opposed to goodness. This is the state we are born to, dead in our transgressions. Goodness and evil cannot have any fellowship. Only the God-Man Jesus Christ could reconcile us. He did that by sacrificing His perfect life on Calvary.

            That was the beginning. God has enabled His people to come to Him by accepting that Jesus paid the price we owed and could never pay.

            Once we have come to that point, we can go on. We are privileged to be able to embrace God, to learn how His perfection fills our holes. We can examine God’s Word to see how His holiness supplies our lack. We can look at His joy when we encounter our own sadness. We can observe His strength when we are weak. We can see what He promises when we need hope.

            I’m thankful for the ones who have touched my life, even when their parting leaves holes. I’m even more grateful that God has reached down to saturate me with His fullness.