Solid preparation gives you confidence. If you’re about to take a test and you have studied properly, the odds are you will do well. Just “winging it” isn’t the best strategy.
Every experience we have in life prepares us for something else. This applies to the bad experiences as well as the good. We rarely have the luxury to know what we are being prepared for. I trust that God knows how he will use the difficult times in my life. Some of my hardest times have been used to help others. When the purpose becomes clear it strengthens my resolve and my trust.
If you are in the middle of a rough patch, or even if you are going through hell, I encourage you to keep moving through it. Your pain has purpose, whether you see it now or not…