Why, Lord, must my friend suffer?

Why Lord? Why must my friend suffer? Can you help us understand?

Because I Am the Lord. And you must trust me. Suffering is part of sanctification. It is the path to humility and kindness and empathy and understanding. It is the means by which you leave this world behind, finally and completely. Your comfort is this: I am with you, I will not abandon you, you will not be overcome, and it is very temporary. But the reward is eternal and beyond imagining. Endure saints. Endure. Those who persevere until the end will be rewarded and will never regret it! Endure, endure, endure. This is the Lord.