I can see why you say this: that God didnt design for this to happen, but my own feeling at this stage is that, although I'm not saying that we cannot come to God through the comfortable places in our lives; through the happy days when we know that we belong and are loved and can love; but we come to know God much more deeply through the places where it all goes wrong and where nothing fits.

I agree!

But I think the two ideas can co-exist. On one level, I believe God's "ideal" design and intent for humanity was perfect on every level. He is God, after all. But, at another level, He also knew that humanity would choose sin over Him. I'm certain He could have stopped it, though. He could have stepped in and kept His plan from being disrupted by sin. But He didn't, because I think He also "planned" that He would bring about the best good in our lives THROUGH our brokenness and hurt. So, in a way, His intent from the beginning was that the "ideal" design would never be fully realized this side of eternity, and that brokenness would be the channel through which He would draw us closer to Himself.

Blessings,
Rainboy