On Sunday evening around 80 people attended a candlelit vigil on Teignmouth seafront.

It was an opportunity for a quiet moment of reflection and to show solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

There was something comforting about being in a large group of people but still being still and quiet.

Towards the end of the vigil, Jamie Redfern, the pastor of Teignmouth Baptist Church, asked us to all blow out our candles. He suggested that after a quiet moment in the darkness we then helped each other relight them.

This was as a reminder that we are not alone and in fact all need each other as we face the trials and tribulations of the world around us.

I was inspired by that to write this week about how important it is to remember to ask for help when you need it.

So many of us have become accustomed to ‘soldiering on’ just because we want to avoid burdening others with our problems.

We often assume that everyone else’s issues are more important than our own, with the result being that we avoid asking for help even when we need it the most.

In fact, far from being a burden, my experience is that most people are only too happy to help if they just know what to do.

Asking someone for help gives them the opportunity to feel both useful and needed. We also know that making a contribution to your community outside of your immediate family is one of the factors that contributes towards a positive sense of wellbeing.

As I write these words, many families are about to invite Ukrainians into their homes over the coming weeks and months.

For the scheme to have any chance of success, it will be important for host families to support each other and to ask for help when it is needed.

There is no point imagining that there are not going to be any bumps in the road – but the more we work together to help and support each other, the more likely it is that the scheme will be a success.

I was very touched this morning when I was approached after church by two ladies in their eighties.

They said that they were not in a position to host a Ukrainian person in their homes, but that they still wanted to do something to help.

They said that after thinking about it, it had occurred to them that they went out every Sunday for lunch.

They said that as soon as we had a Ukrainian guest in our home, they would like to take him or her out for lunch and that they would be happy to pay for it. It would be their way of making this person feel welcome here.

I found this offer of help profoundly moving. To me it was a wonderful example of how caring people can think creatively about how to help in a totally unforeseen situation.

The ladies also made it clear that they were willing to support in any other way they could.

All I had to do was ask. I promised that I would.

There is no denying that there are some truly tragic things happening in the world just now.

At the same time, it has never been more important to also remember that the majority of people do not want to cause pain and suffering to others. Most people are only too glad to help if given the opportunity.

Being asked for help can go a long way towards making a person feel valued – so by having the courage to ask for help you might inadvertently be giving just as much as you receive.