I wish I had a better memory. My Protestant pastor gave a class on the various bad things that happen to people. IIRC their were 4(?) basic reasons.
1)Original sin which caused the entire earth to be not what it was supposed to be (so natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, and illness like cancer, etc.)
2) Our own sin (driving drunk and hurting someone, ending up in jail).
3) Other people’s sin and evil intentions (killing, etc.)
4) God’s actual punishment of us so that we might learn. He said that last one is fairly rare. And while we can learn of God’s grace and love for us from the first three, we shouldn’t be too quick to claim all of our misfortune on God’s punishment.
It seems to make sense to me. Of course in the end people will receive the full extent of God’s punishment, but for the time-being he uses it more as discipline and a correction.
Hopefully we’ll reach many of those heading for God’s ultimate judgement on those who have yet to accept the gospel message. That’s the unfinished work we’re still here to do.