In today's homily and scripture readings, we were told that sometimes God uses the difficult times that we face as a way to show His grander plan. In the case in the Gospel, Jesus learns that His friend Lazarus has become ill. He responds by saying, "This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it." The death of His friend thus became part of a greater story when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.
While God does not wish suffering on any of us, He can use that suffering to bring about wondrous deeds. As uncertain as these times currently seem, they all lead to the fruition of God's glorious kingdom. Acknowledging this does not belittle the tragedies that so many people are facing, rather it gives hope for what lies ahead no matter how difficult the path.