I’m thankful for the many years God gave you together, and although you greatly miss your husband now, I hope you’ll not forget to thank God every day for those years. I know from personal experience that gratitude has a way of taking the edge off our sorrow.

The most important truth I can tell you is that God understands your feelings, and He knows what you’re going through. Grief is like going through a tunnel—and sometimes we wonder if we’ll ever come out the other end. But God has not abandoned you, and He wants to comfort you and assure you that He is with you. Jesus’ words are true: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4).

How does God bring comfort to us? One way is by reminding us of the hope we have of Heaven because of Christ. Yes, someday He will take you to Heaven—but only in His time. When that happens, you’ll not only be reunited with those who have gone before you, but most of all you will be with Christ. Then, the Bible says, “we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).

But God also comforts us by reminding us that He still has work for us to do. Perhaps others in your church or neighborhood also are grieving—and you can be an encouragement and comfort to them. You’ll help them—and they’ll help you.