comfort in affliction

After finding out the situation and being able to let it sit in, i was able to pray and really find some comfort in God.  I mean i was still hurt, tired both physically and emotionally, worried, but i still had a chance at some peace.  I was looking over my notes that I wrote during the large groups at aacf...and i saw the one about finding joy in suffering by pastor howard.  I remember writing down all the verses he had on his ppts but never really having the chance to look through them.  So i went through them and it really gave me a new perspective.  the verse that stood out to me the most tho was...2Corinthians 1:3-5 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too" i remember asking myself why would i have to go through this pain this unbearable sadness, i mean the God i fell in love with, how could he do this to me? but then i read this verse and i thot, all this isnt in vain, i feel like God's letting me go through the pain the suffering, so that i  could grow from it, grown to trust in him more, and also get to help others.  heaven forbid someone else has to go through this...but if they do, i'll have the right words to say, the right actions to help them through it.  in my experience, empathy really helps...the words you say, if they're straight from the heart because u've been there and done that it only means that much more.  God knows my heart, and knows how much I love to see people smile, to help them through their troubles.  this is my opportunity to do that...mayb it's not the first thing people find comfort in, but being able to make people smile, helping people makes me really happy and comforts me that all this is not in vain, that there's a reason behind it all.