July 1st is Canada Day and in the U.S., July 4th is… well, it’s better known simply as “The 4th of July.” (Independence Day to be precise.)
Many times people feel very lonely and even severely depressed on holidays, especially when they (a) have no one to share the time with and (b) they don’t have the distractions of their job.
If you are single and you think marriage is the cure for this, think again. My wife and I currently do not have any other couple that we, as the kids would say, hang with. Holidays simply reinforce this current state of social affairs, and as I type this, we’re actually dealing with another byproduct of having no one we call on to help with a particular need.
The Psalmist understood this; Psalm 73: 25 says
Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
Some might argue that the key to this verse is “in heaven;” that Asaph is comparing the God of Israel to other gods. But I believe he is also contrasting “friends on earth” to having a “friend in heaven.”
A similar passage is in John 6:68, when Jesus has asked the disciples if they wish to leave
Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
Cynics would say that Peter is simply saying he has no other options, almost implying that he might leave if something better came along.
But time will prove the prophetic nature of his statement. Jesus remains faithful to Peter even when Peter doesn’t remain faithful to Jesus. Peter messes up but Jesus restores him. Truly, this is a friend who stays closer than a brother.
That’s the kind of companion you have in Christ, even on a holiday when waves of depression roll in.
Christianity 201 
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