Dear Family and Friends,

You probably wouldn’t guess that I once went free diving off a boat over a mile from the coast of Waianae. It was a reckless thing to do, plus I caught no fish that day… I was too worried a fish would catch me!

To be honest, I was more worried that the boat – my lifeline – would drift away.

It’s the same feeling, the same fear, we all had as we entered the waters of the pandemic. The isolation, lack of control over a quickly changing environment, and no end in sight left many of us with little to no hope.

But today there is hope. Aileen and I just received the updated vaccine and we have several bucket (not revenge) trips planned. The world is starting to return to normalcy.

And as normalcy returns, I suspect changes may soon follow.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 NASB says,“There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every matter under heaven— A time to give birth and a time to die;”

Our God is a good Father who knows that his children need stability, an anchor in times of uncertainty.

But now, as we enter into a new season, I believe God will soon bring changes. One came on Thursday when Queen Elizabeth II left us to be with Jesus.

There are certain events that carry so much personal meaning that we remember exactly where we were and what we were doing when it happened. President John Kennedy. Space Shuttle Challenger. Princess Diana. September 11, 2001. March 11, 2011.

I just added Queen Elizabeth to my list.

But are we supposed to feel this way when we lose a queen who wasn’t our Queen?

She wasn’t our Queen. She was tiny in stature. She rarely spoke in public. Her authority was in reigning not ruling. From a distance she seemed rather stiff, rarely smiled or showed any emotions. She had none of the traits of a ‘world leader.’

But there was something about her, the way she carried herself and interacted with others, that made everyone love and respect her.

She never drifted from her values. She was her kingdom’s anchor through times of turmoil, especially those of the past few years.

The tallest of world leaders stooped down to speak with her. The words she spoke carried weight like no others. She left no doubts that she was in charge.

And while she was humble in nature and never sought attention, she was immensely popular and loved.

To me, while many world leaders seem to be like King Saul, Queen Elizabeth was more like King David.

And like King David, Queen Elizabeth was anointed. Why? I believe it was because she led her Kingdom in the ways of our loving Jesus, as made clear in these statements about her faith in God.

“For me the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life. I, like so many of you, have drawn great comfort in difficult times from Christ’s words and example.”

“I know just how much I rely on my own faith to guide me through the good times and the bad,” she said. “Each day is a new beginning. I know that the only way to live my life is to try to do what is right, to take the long view, to give of my best in all that the day brings, and to put my trust in God.”

“Billions of people now follow Christ’s teaching and find in him the guiding light for their lives. I am one of them because Christ’s example helps me see the value in doing small things with great love, whoever does them and whatever they themselves believe.”

The United Kingdom lost her Queen. We all lost a wonderful role model who showed us how to live life following Jesus. And how to lead others with love, compassion and respect.

No, she was not perfect. No one is. But Queen Elizabeth showed us that our lives can be impactful, rewarding and fulfilling when we place our trust in God and treat others as Jesus did.

My prayer is that one day our friends and relatives will remember us in the same way we do the Queen, not for what she accomplished as the monarch of nations, but for who she was – a child of God.

In love always,