Look to Jesus in your pain.

Jesus visited the Pool of Bethesda and quietly healed one man. So quietly, in fact, the healed man didn't know who Jesus was. There were so many at the pool that the man referred to them as "someone always gets there first". 

In this moment, Jesus healed one man but did not heal a crowd of them. Most of the time we see the scriptures say "Jesus healed all"... But even then we know that there were likely many who never saw Jesus, never heard him, He didn't come to their city, and they didn't seek Him out.

Both in His days on Earth and still today, Jesus Heals! He absolutely does. But if He doesn't show up at your door spoon feeding you miracles, will you seek Him out?

Philip Yancey gives a compelling argument that suffering can be used to help us transform. God NEVER brings suffering to us, that's Calvinist nonesense. But sometimes He walks through suffering with us, instead of delivering us from it.

The Bible says God works all things for the good of those who LOVE Him. 

This doesn't mean he brings bad things to you "for His Glory". Again, Calvanist nonesense. 

But...

In a broken world stuff breaks. We live in a broken world, stuff will break. It's certain.

Our response brings different outcomes. 

We can focus on the pain, and grow bitter.

Or

We can Love Jesus, turn to Him, and allow Him to do a work in our hearts. We may even find we grow and mature during the painful season in ways we never could during the pleasure season.

Shalom means: Nothing Missing, Nothing Broken, Everything Whole and Complete.

Shalom is His will for you, now and always. But perfect Shalom will not happen for us in this lifetime. We are in the world but not of it.

Why His Shalom is realized on this Earth for some in some ways and not others, I don't know. 

But we all experience a measure of His Shalom, and we all experience an eager expectation of ultimate Shalom after.

Selah.