Keep thinking about how much things change. I love the fact that I can order my groceries on-line, and then drive to the store and pick them up. For one thing, it saves time. For another, it prevents impulse shopping. Yes, there's a surcharge, but to  me it's worth it. I've been thinking about waiting. About how much time we spend in life waiting. At the doctor's office, for work to end, for a package to arrive, for bad news, or good news.
I've been thinking about our church family. We've lost several members this year, and one is currently in the hospital, having undergone a liver transplant today and facing more surgery tomorrow. It's times like these that I'm really glad that I have the Word of God. The Apostle Paul seems to be especially eloquent on the subject of suffering.

We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don't give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going. Through suffering, these bodies of ours constantly share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. ...That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are quite small and won't last very long. Yes they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever. (1 Corinthians 4:8-10, 16-18)

I love Paul's "we...but" statements. If you took those sentences by themselves, i.e. "We are pressed on every side by troubles." it would be quite a negative statement. However, the "but" negates the negative and turns it into something positive ,"but we are not crushed and broken." I'm not sure on this, but seeing as how Paul was a well educated man, I would say this is a rhetorical device. I believe he uses this form to make his point more forceful and to remind us that yes, these bad things are happening to us, but they won't break us--we are in God's hands. And he also uses this to remind us that our suffering is not meaningless...there is a purpose for it. We may not ever know the reason for it, but I think that knowing that I'm in God's hands is enough for me. After my sister passed away suddenly, for the first few days I did ask why. Gradually, however, I came to see that I was driving myself crazy and not doing any good. I let God speak to me, and I allowed Him to comfort me. Asking why is not the way to go, especially in a situation like that. Pointing fingers and placing blame will not change the situation. Remembering that we are in God's hands brings an immeasurable sense of peace. Praise God! Through all this suffering, He is strengthening us.