What a day we've had.
At midday we heard the news that she was gravely ill and the family were going to join her at Balmoral. At this point I shared my painting of the Queen along with this prayer:
God of love
Be with our Queen
Keep her from pain and distress and let her know your peaceful presence.
Comfort her family and be with all those who are concerned at this time.
Amen
Then at 630pm the BBC shared the news that Queen Elizabeth II had died. This is what I shared along with photos from the TV and The Church of England.
RIP Queen Elizabeth II
May she rest in peace and rise in glory
My prayers continue for the royal family, the royal household and all those who are mourning the Queen who has always been a part of our lives.
A photo of the TV as the flag was lowered to half mast and a rainbow reminded us of God's promises to be with us always
As the evening progressed I found myself quite overwhelmed and crying as tributes were shared. And so I wrote:
It's strange to find myself crying for someone I've never met, never spoken to, never really known other than her public facade. But she's always been there; a constant, a comfort, a woman of faith, everyone's gran.
We have now left the Second Elizabethan Era, a time of rapid change which somehow she kept up with - filming with 007 and Paddington Bear.
My gran loved her, I loved her, for different reasons I'm sure though our respect for her faithfulness was shared.
Perhaps for me it's the link back to my gran which I grieve today, having lived to her late 90s as well. Perhaps it's the change which feels so huge in a country which feels so poorly led right now. Perhaps it's a simple sadness because I'm human.
Our country's gran, Queen Elizabeth II has died and a new era begins. I wonder if any monarch can ever fill her shoes. I pray they can, that they can speak truth into difficult situations, bring people together who were apart, pray each day in the knowledge that God listens, share the blessing of faith through the movement of the Holy Spirit, and help make the world a better place.
God of love
Open our hearts fully
Remind us that love is eternal, freely given and unlimited
Help us love our neighbours as well as strangers
Warming the hearts of all we meet
Amen
I'll end this post with another photo that was snapped tonight of a rainbow over Buckingham Palace. Hope shines eternal.
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