I’ve often wondered why we suffer or why suffering even exists. Why does our God who is so loving and kind allow us to suffer? These are questions I think we all want to know especially in the midst of suffering. 2020 brought a great deal of suffering and 2021 is no exception either. I’ve seen my family and myself suffer the loss of a loved one this past month. Something you never want to go through and wonder why our family? Why this person God? Yet through the great deal of suffering we have all endured, I’ve seen first hand the beauty that comes from it. See, it wasn’t until I’ve experienced challenging things in life that I realized how important my faith is and why we suffer. God allows us to suffer in order to become closer to Him. And suffering allows us to better understand the sacrifice Jesus made for each of us on the cross. Not only that, but it encourages us to run closer to God, to reach out to Him in times of desperate need. It’s in these times where our faith will truly carry us through it. Although God allows us to suffer, He doesn’t allow us to do it alone. He’s always right there with us, we just need to allow him to carry the weight of our suffering. He also provides people in our lives who are there to help us. I’m not sure any of my family would have been able to get through the loss of a loved one without each other. Suffering has shown me how truly important family and friends are in overcoming the hard times we face. They allow us to realize we aren’t alone in our suffering and how it brings us closer to one another. So although suffering is not easy, God reminds us in Isaiah 66:9 “I will not cause pain without allowing something new to be born.” He brings beauty from our ashes, joy from our tears and healing from our brokenness. For it is through suffering that we can grow closer to God and allow Him to bring us the peace and comfort we need.