Visiting an Ancient Castle in Slovakia--and When We Need a Fortress

Sunday at the Brethren Church in Slovakia, where the Durhams and Natasha attend, two young people offered to take our group that afternoon to see a castle not far away.

Much as I would have loved to go with the others to a Slovakian church and enjoy a Slovakian dinner afterward with Robert and Anya,  I had stayed home that morning to try to get better and rehydrate.

I drank cup after cup of tea, ate a bowl of leftover soup, and finally started to feel rehydrated after days of sickness.

However, by afternoon, I was afraid I wouldn't sleep well that night if I didn't get a little fresh air and a little exercise, so I decided to go along as far as I could on the way to the castle.

So we started out as you can see above. The castle is hidden at the top of the hill in the background.

I was afraid I would never make it, but the fresh air revived me and I wouldn't miss a walk in the woods for anything!

This looks every bit like the European woods described in Robinhood, doesn't it?

Somehow, everything seemed just as romantic as some of the old stories we've read about this area of the world. As for me, hiking through those beautiful woods in springtime with purple flowers blooming everywhere was so wonderful, I can't describe it!

We're arriving at the top of the hill, and here are the old walls of this broken down castle.

I loved the yellow blossoms on the trees around it.

Effort is being put into renovating this old castle.

Here we are gathered around the information board that tells the history behind this castle,

how it was destroyed by fire and taken over by one different king or leader after another.

Enemies would bring wood around the castle and burn it, and the bricks would get so hot they would crumble. It was hard to believe that such a strong castle could crumble in the heat like that.

Sometimes we build "castles in the air" of our dreams and ambitions, hopes and wishes.

And it doesn't take much sometimes to see them crumble.

On our way up to the castle, a piece of news that someone shared took down a dream and a hope that we had.

And I was transported to the time about 24 years ago, where on my way to another ruined castle in the Karpathian Mountains of Ukraine, I was having to lay a certain dream and hope in the dust at the foot of the cross.

How strange that on our walk to another castle (and how many times do you go on walks to old castles in Europe?) another dream and hope must be laid in the dust at the foot of the cross!

But no sooner do we lay a dream in the dust at His feet, but He whispers to us that He has something better in mind for us or the ones we care about. 
These old steps led down underneath the caste. Was it to the dungeon somewhere down there?

There was indeed a dungeon in this castle for prisoners. 

And how the enemy would love to keep us captive in our dungeons of discouragement or hopelessness or helplessness!

But our God is quick and strong to bring deliverance as He did to Christian and Hopeful in their Dungeon of Despair.

He is the One Who sees further into the future than we can. 

He knows exactly what is best for us, our children, and those we love.

God is our Refuge and Fortress, an unending, eternal Refuge that no demon or man can destroy or bring low.

After the chemical attacks in Syria, followed by Tomahawk missiles in retribution by the USA last night,

we listened to our two youngest children this evening at the supper table worriedly asking us if this might be the start of World War III.

We know it took less than this to start other wars. 

But it is a comfort to know that we have a Rock in Whom we hide, a Shelter in the time of Storm!