You always hear the question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" I am sure you have known many great people who have suffered some of the most unimaginable hardships, and this question is always one of the first that comes to mind.
I ask myself this question all the time. Then I got to thinking, maybe it happens to them because they, in fact, are great. They are the ones that can handle it. If this isn't the case? Maybe they are being taught something.
The truth of the matter is that everyone is going to suffer eventually. For some it is earlier and for others it is later, but whether you let that suffering take you or teach you is all the difference.
Through weakness you are made strong.
Take Martin Luther King Jr. for instance. MLK suffered tremendously advocating for the civil rights movement. He endured attacks to his home, numerous threats, unjust imprisonment, and racial degradation. He was arguably one of the most admirable people in recent times, yet his house was attacked and his family threatened. He suffered but was made strong through the struggle. Because of his choice to fight, he made a huge impact on race relations in the '60s and for future generations.
However, we are not all MLK, and so our suffering is different. The most real suffering all humans on Earth have or will endure is the loss of a loved one. Recently someone very close to me lost his father. I often wonder how he can go on some days, because I am sure internally he is heartbroken though he doesn't show it externally. He told me that he doesn't think about what he has lost but rather reflects on what he has gained. He has gained a family that is now closer than ever because they realize that days are not promised and the time they have together is right now. Through his suffering, he can now help others that are going through similar losses. Through his suffering, he can now better handle other struggles that life will throw at him. He is choosing to see the positive consequences of this tragedy rather than letting the negative ones consume him. He used this as a tool to grow and strengthen him rather than knock him down completely.
This only helps if one comes to the realization that life is suffering. The purpose of life is to learn how to bear it, to make it better for yourself and others that also bear suffering so you don't make it worse than it already is. Through weakness you can become stronger, wiser, and an instrument in guiding others to grow through their weakness. You just have to make a choice.
