The Smooth Places

By Marie Drakulic

I pulled into the sand-covered parking lot, kicked off my flip-flops, and let the golden grains trickle between my toes. Breathing a big gulp of the fresh lake air, I felt at home. This is my sanctuary, my favorite place on earth. The Lake Erie coast of Presque Isle has become my go-to place for long walks and great talks, a place to collect my thoughts and soak in the quiet.

It was Sunday afternoon, a rare moment alone in my week. Moving quickly, I made my way to the water’s edge. I wanted to feel the cool tide on my skin and hear the waves ebb and flow on the shore.

As I set my pace, I began to think of all the great writing metaphors in this place. Stepping into the water reminded me of constant change. Trudging along the sandy beach felt remarkably familiar to the weight we carry through the race of life. All stories for another day.

On this day, I was struck by an anomaly on the shore. Between the long, rocky outcroppings, I found small, smooth places. In these smooth places, my feet found the most comfort and ease, as they were some of the firmest places on the beach. I found myself looking eagerly for them and wondering why there were so few.

“Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction” (Isaiah 48:10).

Looking down at the rocks beneath my feet, I noticed something else. They were beautiful. Each rock was different. They varied in texture, size, and color.

I began to reflect. The smooth places might provide the easiest walk, but they lack the richness and depth of the rocky stretches. It’s a good reminder. In the midst of the rocky, difficult places in our lives, God draws us to the most magnificent beauty.

It’s true in my life. Those times when I felt barely able to breathe, God was doing something amazing. Through affliction (no matter how long the trial or how deep the pain), God was always mightier. The psalmist said, “The flood and the waves were mighty, Lord, but You are mightier” (my paraphrase).

Take a close look at another passage in the Psalms: “I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me” (Psalm 119:75). Wait. Stop right there. Broken sister or frustrated brother, did you hear that? Read it again. “In faithfulness hast afflicted me...”

What? No, it can’t be. Why would a loving God afflict me? Keep reading: “Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant. Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law is my delight” (Psalm 119:76-77, 92).

I can’t imagine where those words find you today. Are you grieving? Are you battling addiction? Are you struggling with infertility? Did your spouse just ask for a divorce? Did your doctor just give you the prognosis you have been dreading? Are you heartbroken? Are you drowning in debt, not sure how you will make it through the week, let alone the month? Do you wonder when God will finally give you the direction you have been seeking?

Oh, I know how hard those words must be to read. In a time of deep sadness, an extended period of isolation and loneliness, God directed me to this passage, and I’m still not sure I understand the meaning. I don’t have deep theological answers for affliction. But I can cling desperately, and with great faith, to this promise . . . God is faithful, always faithful. It is not just what He does; it is who He is. He is merciful. His love is constant, and it will comfort me. His Word is my delight, my strength, and my portion for this day, this moment, this affliction.

“Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction” (Psalm 119:92).

I must admit that in the smooth places of life, where I feel stable, my mind drifts from His faithfulness. I drift from His word and am distracted when I pray. Perhaps that is why the smooth places are so short-lived. In the hardest times in my life, my prayers are the most fervent. When no one seems to have the answer, my searches become more diligent. I stay in the Word, and I meditate on it night and day. The most challenging times in my life have brought great treasures to share with others—how God has loved and rescued me.

Where are you walking today? Is the ground smooth and firm? Don’t lose your focus. Don’t forget to seek your Creator. Let Him prepare you for the storms ahead.

Or maybe you are struggling across the rocky ground, and you can’t quite remember what the smooth places feel like. Hang in there. Don’t give up. Don’t quit fighting that addiction or stronghold. Don’t stop praying for that loved one. Don’t let go of His promises for your life. Above all, don’t, don’t, don’t stop breathing in His Word and living in His grace. He is making something beautiful of your life.

“They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble . . . Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and He bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still” (Psalm 107:26; 28-29).

God alone controls the wind and the waves, and He still delivers. He still calms the raging seas. Don’t lose heart! “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

About the Writer: Marie Drakulic and her husband Tony are team members with Darryl Grimes, planting Flagship FWB Church in Erie, Pennsylvania. Learn more: www.flagshipchurch.com.