Not invited to the Royal Wedding? Couldn’t get a ticket to the FA Cup final? Disappointed that SuRie, the UK’s Eurovision hopeful, didn’t finish as high as you’d hoped in Lisbon at the weekend?

Disappointing yes, but if those are your only worries, you’re doing well. Life can be difficult, as Paul Simon wrote in “Bridge Over Troubled Water”: “When times get rough, And friends just can’t be found … When darkness comes, And pain is all around.” When life’s like that, it’s often hard to see a way out. Yet the song’s positive ending reminds us that with the help of a friend, there is hope and maybe even a positive outcome: “All your dreams are on their way, See how they shine. Oh, if you need a friend, I’m sailing right behind. Like a bridge over troubled water, I will ease your mind.” Sometimes we need to be that friend.

But what if you’re the one going through those stormy waters, the one in need of a listening ear or an arm to lean on? Interestingly, SuRie’s Eurovision song “Storm” addresses the situation in a similar way. “Storms don’t last for ever. Remember we can hold our hands together, Through the storm oh, oh! … Spread your love. Give all you got. Hold your head up. Don’t give up, oh no!” Life can be handled so much easier together than alone. As King Solomon – who’s said to be the wisest man that ever lived – once wrote:

“Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up.”
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (CSB)

Even though we may feel it or think it, we are never alone. Each day, we can choose to look down in discouragement or lift our eyes to our Creator, the One who walks with us through this world. Richard Wurmbrand, the Romanian pastor, tortured by the then Communist regime, wrote this: “Are you seeking Jesus? Where have you been looking for Him? As you begin your day, think through the various places you will be and the people you will be with; and envision Jesus standing next to you in each of those places.” In fact the ancient scriptures tell us that He is “a friend, who sticks closer than a brother.” Lift your eyes from your circumstances and look to Jesus. Nothing is impossible to Him. Do you need God’s help right now? Tell Him your troubles, invite Him into your situation and rest in His love.