Two are better than one
The next couple of months are going to be an exciting time for our family as we prepare for our daughter’s wedding. It hardly seems possible. It feels like only yesterday that we were bringing her home as a baby. Then came school, growing independence, a move to Manchester, and later Wales, where she found a job she loves and the man she is soon to marry.
As any parent will tell you, the years have a habit of speeding up. Children who once needed help tying their shoelaces somehow become adults making lives of their own. I have already been given strict instructions that my speech at the wedding must be short. My daughter knows me far too well. A shorter speech means less opportunity for her dad to reveal childhood secrets or tell embarrassing stories! As I was thinking about what I might say, I found myself reflecting on some words from the Bible:“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labour: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)
At first, my thoughts naturally turned to marriage. A good marriage is a partnership. Life brings challenges, but having someone alongside you to encourage and support you is a wonderful gift. Yet the more I reflected on those words, the more I realised they speak about something much wider than marriage alone. They remind us that none of us were designed to do life in isolation. We all need people around us. Friends who encourage us when life is difficult. Neighbours who lend a hand when we need practical help. People who notice when we are struggling and take the time to ask how we are really doing.
That thought was brought home to me recently while I was sitting in a treatment centre waiting for an appointment. Nearby were two elderly gentlemen chatting together. Both had lost their wives and, through their shared experience of grief, had become close friends. They were talking about plans for a holiday they hoped to take once one of them had finished cancer treatment. On the surface they looked an unlikely pair, but there was an obvious bond between them. There was friendship, mutual support, and genuine care. They had found someone who understood their journey and was willing to walk alongside them.
As I listened, I realised I was seeing a living example of those ancient words from Ecclesiastes. When one was struggling, the other was there. When one needed encouragement, the other provided it. Quite simply, two were better than one.
The truth is that all of us need somebody. We all need friendship, companionship and community.
If you have been feeling lonely or would like to meet new people, why not try one of the many groups that meet in our village? You might even like to pop along to The Gathering Place on a Wednesday afternoon. You will find a warm welcome, a friendly chat, and perhaps the beginning of a friendship that reminds you, as those two gentlemen reminded me, that two really are better than one.
Make things better
It was a real surprise and a genuine honour for Jenny and me to be presented the Stead Community Award. The award recognises people who contribute to village life and the local community, and while our names may have been attached to it this year, we know full well that so much of what happens in this village is only possible because of many others. Our first thought was the incredible number of volunteers who help alongside us. Around the library and Assist groups alone, there are more than forty volunteers from across the area giving their time, energy, and care to help things run smoothly. Some are part of the church, many are not, but all share something important in common: they love this village and want to ‘make things better’.
That phrase: ‘make things better’ is the key. Over the years, I have had opportunities to sit with people in business, entrepreneurs, church leaders, and even those involved in politics. They have come from very different backgrounds and held very different opinions. Yet when asked why they do what they do, a common theme often emerges: a genuine desire to improve things for others, to ‘make things better’. In other words, service. Of course, we may not always agree with every approach people take, and some may be paid while others volunteer quietly behind the scenes, but the heart of service is still there. It is the decision to use what you have, your time, skills, influence, or energy, to help people, strengthen community, and ‘make things better.’
That kind of service is easy to overlook because it often happens quietly. It is people setting up chairs, making drinks, helping at events, listening to someone having a difficult day, or simply turning up week after week because they care. Most never expect recognition. They just get on with it. It reminds me of Queen Elizabeth II’s words that her life would be devoted to service. Those words still resonate because we value people who choose to serve rather than simply do the minimum required. For me as a Christian, that idea comes straight from Jesus. One of the most remarkable moments in the Bible is when Jesus washed the feet of His disciples. It was not expected of Him or glamorous in any way. But He did it because serving people reflected His heart. He showed that greatness is not really about status or position, but about love expressed through action.
I think we still see glimpses of that same spirit all around our village today. Every volunteer, every act of kindness, every person who gives up time for others helps make this community stronger and kinder. And the good news is, there is always room for more people to get involved. Whether through the library, local groups, church activities, or community events, opportunities to volunteer are never far away, just look through this Cherry News, contact us or search the internet for organisations who would love you to serve. You may be surprised just how much a small act of service can make 'make things better’.
