A few evenings ago I was watching the sky, hoping for some inspiration. A flock of crows were filling the clouds, but then I spotted a smaller group of swallows flying above them in a smaller, tighter circle. It made me think of friendship and the way people can surround you and lift you up when dark things threaten to bring you down.

Then, as I listened to the clear, fresh birdsong the next morning, I was reminded that there are always bright and beautiful gifts if we watch and wait for them. You could call them mercies.

CS Lewis chose the title of his book about grief over losing his wife, Surprised by Joy. Maybe that is the secret- there will be times when you can’t recognise anything good, but there are often friends near you who can bring it to you. Or perhaps you can take it to them.

When you’re feeling low, it can be very difficult to see anything bright, but if you expect to be surprised, then it can happen. A bird, maybe two, has been singing a bright song to me every morning, and it cuts through the blackness I sometimes feel. Nothing is forced, nothing has been fabricated, it’s just beautiful before I even ask it to be.

Have a think about ways you could surround and lift up people struggling beside you. Like the swallows, aim for greater heights and carry others with you. Search for bright and beautiful things and share them with others. It is a happy way of bringing light, even in the darkest of times. Blessing other people always has a blessing in it for you too.🥰