Why do bad things happen to good people?

I had a thought the other night over dinner because I have been talking about conflict and how it can be a good thing because of all that can be learned.

Everyone always asks "if God is so good, then why do bad things happen to good people?"

I think I may have an answer: It's because we learn more from going through the hard stuff than we would from having everything be peaches and sunshine all the time. You grow more from going through difficulties. It's called building character. You cannot learn to be patient until your patience is tested. I cannot learn to practice restraint unless I am tempted to do the opposite and let loose with the full force of my anger.

If God is supposed to work all things together for our good (Romans 8:28, if anyone is interested)--we become better people, we end up where we were meant to be rather than where we thought we wanted to be--then isn't it worth it to have had to endure difficulty? Life is supposed to be a journey, a learning process.

"In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world."  -John 16:33.