“… it might seem counterintuitive to give thanks for our suffering. Nevertheless, we must acknowledge that God is totally in charge of everything and that everything – and everyone – belongs to Him. God knows exactly what each of us is going through in life, including our suffering. God allows us to experience suffering for His divine purpose, because through suffering we learn how to persevere, to endure steadfastly to the very end, which is not the end, but the true, everlasting beginning.”
(Fr Samuel Gantt, Orthodox  priest in Virginia)