All For Good

I have been remembering how earlier this year, this summer, one guest in particular stayed here at the hermitage.  He is a gentle, soft-spoken man.  During his stay of multiple nights, he came into the bookstore multiple times while I was working.  One time he came up to the counter and shared with me how he had been musing on unfortunate things which happen in our lives.  He said that it seems that horrible events are parts of God's plans.  I explained that God doesn't want us to undergo tragic circumstances.  However, God gives all of us free will.  Therefore, people, utilizing their free will, intervene in our lives and, through their choices, sometimes cause us to suffer.  God can even use such suffering to bring us closer to Him, just as He can draw us closer to Him through pleasant blessings.  For those who love God, all things work together for good.*  

* Romans 8:28.