Why does God allow suffering?

A lot of people get hung up on why God allows suffering. But in order to be angry with God, they must believe in Him. What do they expect to gain by being angry and rebellious against God, anyway? Do they think that God is evil? What, or who rather, is their alternative? And do they presume to think that they are more merciful or just than God, or would be, if they were in His position? He is the very epitome of those things. We would not know about them without God having first given us a little piece of Himself. While I do not doubt God’s mercy or justice, I have often wondered why he allows suffering. But I don’t anymore. I believe that God is doing whatever it takes in this world to get the attention of every individual soul, in order to give them the opportunity to choose Him. Even I believe that all of the suffering in the world is justified by this opportunity, and God’s picture is infinitely bigger than mine.

I pray almost every day for God to do whatever it takes to save as many people as possible. But in a way, I feel silly saying that prayer, because I know that He already is. He wants everybody to be saved more than I do. He loves them more than I do. He suffers at the suffering of others more than I do. I think my prayer is just my way of telling Him that I won’t get angry if he takes my family or my comfort or my money. If He does, I trust Him enough to believe that it is for the best, if not for me, then for someone else. If I am slain, or homeless, or widowed, or afflicted with pain for the rest of my existence, what does that matter to me? I have a glorious eternity waiting for me! So if by my suffering, even one person joins us forever in eternity, it will have all been worth it.