Actually, there are multiple empty spaces I am noticing today, all of which point to the largest and most poignant empty space. That once filled, now unfilled empty space is the reason for all the other empty spaces I now encounter in almost every room of my home. You see, I just laid to rest my furry friend of sixteen years, my cat, Chai.

I walked into my kitchen this morning and couldn’t help but notice the empty space usually occupied by her water bowl and two food bowls. (she was picky, one bowl for the canned food, one for the dry food) The window seat in the front room is now minus the special, rather large pillow that was her’s alone for sunbathing and birdwatching from her favorite window. It was a very old pillow, past its prime, like Chai, but it was her favorite, so I kept it because she had it all broken in just the way she liked it. She doesn’t need it now, so it is gone, leaving an empty space where she once spent many a sunny afternoon.

Her cat bed at the top of the stairs I have removed also, leaving another empty space. Not that she didn’t sleep with me, but cats sleep a lot, (hence the term “cat nap”) so it’s good to have multiple locations in which to take those frequent cat naps. Then there’s an empty space in the laundry room where her litter box used to be. I have to say, changing the litter box was my least favorite chore, so it’s surprising that this particular empty space would tug at my heart, causing me to miss her, but it does. Funny what you miss when they are gone. I didn’t see that one coming.

Loss is an inevitable part of life, and I have to agree with Tennyson on this one – “Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.” Animals in general and pets in particular, are one of God’s many good gifts to us. Pets are companions, comforters, playmates. Pets accept us as we are, giving us that unconditional love we so desire.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17)

So now there’s an empty space in my heart and a bunch of empty spaces in my home, each one a reminder of my furry friend’s former presence. The empty space – that’s the measure of my loss. Maybe empty spaces are the measures of your losses, too, dear readers? Loss leaves us feeling empty.

Our losses accumulate over time, leaving us with even more empty spaces. But there is One who came to fill those empty spaces and He came to fill them permanently. Jesus said-

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

I read this in Ephesians about Jesus –

“And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way.” (Ephesians 1:22)

That’s a wonderful truth – that Jesus “fills everything in every way.” And He surely does. In the Old Testament, the people witnessed God’s filling Presence when this happened –

“Then the temple of the Lord was filled with a cloud, and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God.” (2 Chronicles 5:13-14)

Isaiah said it this way – “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.” (Isaiah 6:3)

My Heavenly Father wants to fill all my empty spaces with His abiding presence if I will grant Him access. It’s up to me. He wants to do the same for you too, dear readers. One thing is certain, if we’ve lived very long, we each have plenty of empty spaces that need filling. But nothing and no one on this earth has the power to fill up all of our holes and heartaches that continually long to be filled and healed – except our loving Creator.

Today, Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians is my prayer for myself and for you, too, dear readers –

“I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:16-19)

Praise God – He came to fill our empty spaces! Jesus said –

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)

sincerely, Grace Day