in all deep places

This summer I have been catching up with reading for relaxation - I'm loving it. I just finished this book call "In All Deep Places" by Susan Meissner. It was definately a book that pulled my heart strings and I strongly recommend it. (In a way it reminded me of my favourite book, "Who Has Seen the Wind" by WO Mitchell.)
I found the following excerpt especially touching. Have you ever wondered why there are some people who constantly get the short stick in life? I know it has been something that I have always questioned and struggled with. This passage from the book shows Luke (the little boy in the story) dealing with this topic. I found it very enlightening as I have never seen it from this angle before.

“So why doesn’t God ease up on her, then?” Luke said. “He hasn’t let even half as much bad stuff happen to us as He has to Nell. Or Norah.”
“Well I don’t know all that God knows about individual people, Luke. I believe He works in each life in whatever way that will draw that person to Him.”
“Yeah, but Dad – this will just drive them all away from Him!”
Jack nodded. “Tough times will bring that out in people, Luke. It’s the worst of times that a person will either run to God or turn his back on Him. I think it’s always been that way.”
Luke was silent for a moment.
“Don’t you ever wonder why, Dad?” Don’t you ever wonder why it’s that way? Why he made us like that? I mean, why are we even here if life is going to be so hard that it turns some people away from God?”
“I’ve wondered those things too, Luke,” Jack said. “Sometimes I still do. I’m not sure why God has made us the way He did. I know we were made in His image, so there’s something about is that is uniquely like Him, but there’s probably much more to it than that. As to why we’re here, well I think maybe we’re here to learn to love Him. To learn to love God and want to be with Him. I think we’re here to cultivate our longing for heaven.”
Luke sighed. “Heaven,” he said. “Seems like a long, long way off, Dad.”
Jack nodded. “It does. But I think God gives us glimpses of heaven from time to time to help us nurture the desire to want to be there at the end of our lives.”
“What do you mean?” Luke asked, feeling at that moment that he greatly needed a glimpse of heaven.
“Well, I see glimpses every spring when the earth renews itself. And sometimes I see glimpses in a worship service when I’m singing about Jesus and all of the sudden I feel like I’m right there in His arms. And sometimes I see glimpses at dawn after a snowfall, before the ploughs come through, before the sunlight touches the new snow and only the dying moonlight is falling on it. I see it all the time.”
Luke leaned back against the wall of the tree house, considering his father’s words. He could understand that God would purposely place humans on a planet with limitations, that He would give those same humans the ability to make choices, and that He would also instil in every person a tiny longing for heaven, a longing designed to blossom. He even began to feel that tiny longing stir within his own heart and soul. It all made sense except for one thing. It did not explain why God had allowed such an abundance of tragedy into Norah’s life. She never saw glimpses of heaven. Never. How could she? He wouldn’t be surprised if all she saw were glimpses of hell.
“But Dad,” he said. “What about Norah? When does she ever get to see a glimpse of heaven? Dad, their life is a nightmare.”
Jack leaned forward and placed his hands on Luke’s shoulders.“Luke, listen to me. Every time you’ve showed kindness to Norah, they’ve seen the love of God in you. I know their lives are harder than yours, but Luke, God hasn’t forgotten about them. They have seen a glimpse of heaven every time you cared for them.”