Asking God, "Why?"

Lately, I've noticed a lot of stories about children going through rough things.  A lot of that is my increasing sensitivity towards caring for foster children, but that's another story.  So many people want to know why God allows bad stuff to happen.  I certainly don't have that answer.  But one thing I -in my small, insignificant way- can glean from it is that God IS using it for good.  "What good can come from a child going through those things?"  I don't know.  "For my thoughts are not your thoughts," says God.  God, the very One who created each of us, who wants the heavenly-best for us, who loves us.  The best I can get my earthly head around this in an example is with my son. 
 
Once I was using a hot glue gun and gave my son several warnings to stay far from it.  He, being an I know-everything 4 year old boy, didn't listen.  Repeatedly.  He eventually ended up touching it.  (It was on the low setting, there was only a small red spot, not even a blister, and I had the aloe plant near at hand!)  He learned that day.  Though not in the way I wanted him to learn, he did gain from that bad experience.  Any time after that we neared a bonfire or other, much hotter surfaces, I had only to mention the glue gun and he stayed far away.  On several occassions, that kept him safe- from rogue sparks, from tripping into a fire (my growth-spurting kid kept his distance, so he tripped several yards away instead of right beside the fire), from grabbing a cookie off the baking sheet fresh out of the oven.  He needs only that reminder.  As much as it clenched my insides to see him hurt from the glue gun, it was a much better situation than had the others happened.  And through all the struggles and pain we see people go through, we do not know the worse things He may be saving them from. 
 
Perhaps being a christian means having enough joy to be able to see the good that comes from the bad, and not getting hung up on just the bad.  Maybe being a parent means having a tiny smidgeon of understanding of how it pains God to see His children go through these things.  For we know in all things God works for the good of those who love him .   Never forget that God is close to the brokenhearted.  Let Him comfort you.