How can a good God allow suffering?

My sister's church in Rhode Island has been doing a sermon series dealing with tough questions.  Last weekend they addressed a question that we have all asked at some point: "How can a good God allow suffering?"  My sister's pastor, Jerry Dusenberry,  asked if he could use Thomas's story as part of this sermon, as the death of an innocent baby is a pretty obvious example of seemingly senseless suffering.  He had followed along on our journey with Thomas, and had prayed for his healing.  Of course we told him we would be honored! My sister read several of our blog posts, and several excerpts were combined into the video below which was played at the end of the sermon.  The sermon is excellent, and it talks about how suffering is a result of sin (not a result of my personal sin, but "big picture sin" affecting me on a very personal level).  Our suffering isn't senseless, and God uses all of it for His greater purpose.  We may not see it at the time, but our suffering is part of a story much larger than our own.

"We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!" 1 Corinthians 13:12 (The Message)