There was this couple traveling by bus in a mountainous area of Europe. They decided to get off at a well-known resort to enjoy the sights there. After the couple got off, the bus continued on to another resort. On its way to the next resort, a huge boulder came crashing down the mountainside and flattened the bus. Everybody on board was killed.
The shocked couple heard of the tragedy and said, "We should have been on that bus!" Now, why on earth do you think they would have said such a thing? Were they crazy?
Do you sometimes wonder why there is so much suffering in the world? Why are the innocent and those who are trying to do good subjected to pain, heartache, sickness, tragedy, and death? Perhaps, even you are experiencing such trials. Yes, these questions can be so difficult to answer, especially with all the problems we encounter everyday.
This is my answer: I don't fully know why we suffer, but the thing I know is that suffering has a purpose, a very important purpose. Like what I previously mentioned, we need to experience some degree of suffering in order to better understand the purpose of our lives.
Our lives all fit into a predetermined plan; we are not here to be tossed to and fro like a boat in a stormy sea. We are all subject to natural and physical laws. We are also subject to the results of choices made by ourselves and by others around us. But no matter what happens, all the difficulties we endure can make us stronger. It's as simple as an injection; the needle will hurt for a while, but the medication will make us feel a lot better!
Did you know why the couple wished they were in the bus? The answer is very, very simple. If they had remained on the bus instead of deciding to get off at the resort, the resulting time delay could have been avoided and the rock would have fallen after the bus had passed.
We cannot avoid challenges in our lives, but we can learn how to face our challenges because we now know what to do about them when they come again.