The Beauty in Suffering

Frodo: I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened
Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world Frodo, besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring in which case, you were meant to have it. That is a very encouraging thought.



Man, just go back and read what Gandalf tell Frodo one more time...." but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”
Very often, we expect God to show up in our lives very dramatically like, in the middle of thunderous booming voices, in chaos swirling around us. But most of the time, that's not the way he chooses to show up...at all. In fact, God doesn't always make Himself obvious. Very often He will work in the subtlest of ways and allows us to go on dangerous adventures, not because he couldn't accomplish the task himself, but because he wants US to grow and he wants to use us. It may not be obvious or even what you expect, but God is ALWAYS at work in your life. Whether you realize it or not.
"But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one."
-2 Thessalonians 3:3.
That is the promise we receive once we surrender our lives to him. That even though, in the middle of our suffering and weakness, we receive strength, for HE is our strength and he is our refuge, our fortress when the enemy and his armies come to take us. Death is not taking us, no- LIFE is SWALLOWING us. We really do serve an awesome God. Even when we're surrounded by enemies, betrayed by our friends or overwhelmed by all the brokenness around us, God is that CONSTANT source of good and of love in our lives.
"What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?"
-Romans 8:31-32
Do we not realize the POWER in that?! If God is for us, for ME, then who can possibly prevail?! “There are other forces at work in this world Frodo, besides the will of evil” God is still at work. He is still on the move. Though we seem like we're being worn down by all the things crashing down on us as we take our stand, we must, must, MUST remember that the “light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5) The darkness WILL NOT overcome it. Isn't that the very thing that the blood of Jesus came to accomplish? That through his blood, we would now have power in and through the blood as well? Therefore, we too are now able to cast out the works of the enemy and all the realms of darkness he holds. now that we are co-heirs and conquerors with Christ Jesus, is that not the authority we posses?! We are no longer held in his captivity! We serve an amazing and powerful God, who goes out before us and fights on our behalf and only wants to rescue us.
The legend is true, look around-like in LOTR, evil is real. It is all around us. However,
  hope is not lost. There is good. God is guiding this world and providing a way for you to make it through. He is our path, He is our way, will we follow him? He doesn't promise that we'll be safe in comfortable along the way. In fact, it might seem to only get even harder to follow Jesus. He doesn't promise that our closest friends won't betray us, but we ARE told that we can travel a road that is based on truth, beset by evil, constructed in love and ultimately guided and protected by a good and loving God. Even so He promises to us that if we are faithless, He remains faithful. Meaning-If we choose to wander off and pursue our own desires, he will never leave us, He REFUSES to leave us. If our entire world collapses and shatters to the depths of the ground, we are still the children of a mighty, loving, caring and healing Father who will restore our hearts and bind our wounds back up again. 
THAT, is a very encouraging thought....