A perplexed man once visited a wise man.
“The sages tell us to bless God for the bad just as one blesses God for the good. But how is this humanly possible?” asked the man.
“That is a good question. For an answer, you must visit a farmer I know,” the wise man replied.
The man found the farmer. He had never before seen anyone who suffered such hardship. The farmer lived like a pauper. There was no food in the house, and his entire family was beset with illness. Yet he was cheerful, constantly expressing his gratitude to God.
The man wanted to know the farmer’s secret, and he finally asked him the same question he had asked the wise man.
“That is a very good question,” said the farmer.
“But why did the wise man send you to me? How would I know? He should have sent you to someone who has experienced suffering.”