Surprised at suffering

I've been thinking about suffering a lot lately, what with the world-at-large falling to pieces around me, my friends going through their own trials, and me mine. Just yesterday, as I was flying home after a wonderful holiday, I overheard a conversation between two ladies sitting behind me: the one was coming down from Joburg specially to visit a friend who had been rushed to hospital that morning. It seems that if you're alive, you just can't escape suffering.

It's apt then, that the following verse popped up at Bible study:

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.
- 1 Peter 4:12

I wonder why Peter thought to write do not be surprised to his audience. Anyone in this day and age would be well aware that no-one escapes suffering. But even in this age of interconnectedness and hyperlinkedness, we as a people, as humankind, ARE surprised.

I've reached one general conclusion: The world's natural state is NOT to be one of suffering, and we recognise this in our responses of surprise to suffering. In being surprised at suffering, we recognise that there is another ideal that we subconsciously aspire to.

I've also reached another conclusion, however. Having been a Christian for a while, and having known the above truth for a while, I still find myself angry and surprised when people I know, friends, family, loved ones, find themselves suffering. And, I've come to realize that in some ways, as a Christian, I'm more surprised than before that we do suffer. My logic is as follows:
I know the almighty, loving Creator of the universe;
I am now His Child;
Why does He let me suffer like this?

I suppose my response is a natural one - after all, aren't we more hurt when loved ones, trusted ones, close ones disappoint us or let us down? Many times we forgive strangers far more easily than those who should've known better. I suppose at the root of my response is a selfish, sinful desire that God do what I want for MY life, not what He has ordained is best. I suppose it's a comfort that the One who is letting us go through suffering is the Only One who can see what the future holds and has deemed me able to go through what I need to go through. But for now, for good reasons, and selfish, I remain to be surprised at suffering.