Queen Victoria reigned for over 63 years. She bore nine children. And perhaps that is why she seemed to view her subjects and servants from a mothering perspective, and likewise, they viewed her.

After her husband’s passing, she secluded herself, wearing black mourning clothes and a locket with his hair inside.

Her family assigned to her a personal servant to bring her out of depression. John Brown never married and rarely took holidays. He was so devoted to Victoria, that after thirty-four years of tirelessly serving her, he denied himself the proper rest to recover from erysipelas.

The queen mourned his death like her husband’s. She erected a life-size statue of him with the words etched “Friend more than Servant.”

Mohammad Abdul Karim became the queen’s new attendant. She had him accompany her on all her travels and named herself “his affectionate mother.” Before her death, she willed him a parcel of land fit for a soldier of the highest ranking, so that he would be cared for beyond her own life.

God’s heart beats truer than even the most beloved worldly royalty. Jesus doesn’t want heartless servants, blindly following commands. He enjoys our presence. He wants to be our intimate Friend.