My Castle

Exactly a year ago, when I was going through what seemed like a hard time in my life, one of my closest friends gave me this. She had written it when she herself was going through a similar struggle in life. Now it seems even more applicable, and I pulled it out to read it again. Hopefully it will be a challenge and encouragement to you as well.

I built a castle one day. It was a magnificent construction. Each stone so perfect and so perfectly aligned. There was no flaw in my castle. I polished each stone and cherished every part. I knew exactly what dimensions that castle needed to be. Nothing could mar my castle. I imagined what it would be completed, and how everyone would be so stunned at my outstanding creation.

One day, it was completed. It was a lofty structure, far above anything that could harm it, I was sure. Yet, as I surveyed my castle, I realized that sketched across the entire building was my name written in bold, brash letters for all the world to see. Why shouldn’t it be there, I thought. After all, it is my creation. No one else should have any part of my castle.

Then, in a horrifying instant, I realized that there was One who did have access to that castle, for He rules all of the castles that we humans attempt to build. Slowly, before my eyes, he began to take apart the walls I had constructed. It was painful to watch those stones that I had carved and polished come crumbling apart. It hurt, and I shed tears as I watched it disintegrate into a heap of useless rubble.

Then that One and I wrestled for the blueprints to the castle. He insisted that only He could make it a truly perfect castle. I cried that my dreams could only do. He showed me His plan throughout the ages. I offered up my pitiful successes of my brief life. More tears were shed, by me, and, if I could guess, by Him as well as we wrestled. Then He just asked if I would simply trust Him. If I would give to Him the pieces of a shattered dream and let Him make a castle that no man could penetrate, that no force of evil could crumble. And, finally, I released the blueprints into His omniscient hand. I gave Him the trust that He demanded in exchange for a truly perfect castle. I gave my broken walls to the Rock of Ages and let Him make them whole.

I don’t know what that castle will look like. Do I want to know? Oh yes. But trust doesn’t mean only in the sunlight. Trust means stepping in the dark and allowing Him to guide me. You know what I’ve discovered? I don’t have to know what the castle will look like, I just have to know the Builder.