Day 10 - A Royal Appointment

The invitation was printed on heavy card and edged in gold. Even the envelope, with its Royal insignia and Buckingham Palace postmark, was posh. It came from the Master of the Household, inviting me to represent a charity with which I am involved at a reception for people working in humanitarian organisations. It was to be in the presence of the King and Queen. I was both deeply honoured, and not a little surprised, to be invited to such an august event.

So it was that on a damp day last month, I was standing outside Buckingham Palace wearing my best suit and holding my all-important security entry card as I joined the queue to enter the most famous address in Britain.

It was a wonderful reception in highly decorated and sumptuous surroundings. I met many inspiring people from different charities, including Christian Aid and Shelterbox. But, of course, what everybody wanted was to be able to speak personally, if only fleetingly, with the King himself. I had travelled down from the Midlands, but I met a man from Poland and a lady who had come all the way from Pakistan, just in the hope of spending a moment with the King. As I saw the King being carefully chaperoned around the large ballroom by an attentive equerry, taking time to speak personally to as many people as he could, I realised that in truth there was no way that he would be able to speak to us all.

The following morning, back at home, I sat down with a cup of tea and opened my daily devotional app on my phone. With the memories of the previous day still buzzing around my head, I was struck by one obvious, but often overlooked, fact. I, and many others, had gone to considerable effort to meet King Charles. We had travelled long distances, often at great expense. We had been there on an appointed date and at a set time. We had put on our best clothes. We had thought about how we might address His Majesty if we were able to speak with him. And all this with no guarantee of spending even a moment in the presence of the King himself. And even if we did meet him would the King, surrounded as he was by so many people, remember much of what we said to him?

So different from meeting the King of Kings. We can meet and speak with God at any time – day or night. In any state of dress or undress. For as long as we like. We don’t have to worry about saying the “right thing”; indeed, God yearns for each of us to share with Him what is on our heart so we can have an authentic, personal and unique relationship with Him. And God remembers all our prayers and cares deeply about the things that most concern us.

It is so easy to take this for granted, but we really should not. So, take a moment now to pause and rest with God, and give thanks with a grateful heart that our Royal Appointment with Him is available whenever, wherever and for as long as we want or need.

In case you were wondering, I did manage a brief word with His Majesty. And what did he say to me? Well, that’s between me and the King!

Philip Clarke