For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.
Psalm 62:5
ESV
When sudden death strikes, it seems like there is no hope for getting through grief. But there is always hope. Like the sun, hope never leaves you. It is not always visible because clouds of grief obscure it.
You will get 99% through the grief caused by the sudden passing of your spouse between 12 – 18 months. One day you will suddenly realize that you are 99% through the worst of the grief. One day just when you least expect it, you will realize the worst of grief is over.
April 17th, 2008 was the day I realize I would get through grief. My devotion was about a warm spring day with crocus, daffodils, and trees in bloom. (obviously, the warm spring day was not yesterday.)
I stepped outside and all of a sudden I realized I had stepped into my devotion. For the crocus, daffodils, and trees were in bloom and the birds were singing their lovely song.
All this brought me hope. A trusted assurance that God would get me through the hell of grief.
And He Did.
Even though I still had bad days, I knew I would get through grief. It was work. A lot of days the most painful thing I did was to get out of bed. God saw me through the daily challenges. And He will see you through it too.
At some point in your journey through the first year, you will experience hope – an expected confidence that your joy will return.
And it will.
Just like the crocuses bursting forth from the frozen ground, for hope springs eternal.
Bio: Michele Kearns is the founder and HUG© (Hope Unites Globally) Award-Winner of JoyReturns. She shares her widowhood adventures hoping to encourage widows to move through grief and rebuild their lives. A graduate of Kent State University with a Bachelor’s degree in communications, she’s used those skills while managing call center teams, facilitating a grief support group and helping small businesses with various writing and administrative assignments. Michele is a bookworm, lover of chocolate, red roses and golden retrievers and is an amateur photographer.
JoyReturns 
Wow. God truly worked a miracle of comfort and healing in your life. When I lost my mom ten years ago, it took me five years to emerge from what I call the dark tunnel of grief. I felt like I was wandering in a fog… Perhaps, though, that was because I was recovering from cancer, and that made it a longer process? Your post gives me hope that God could carry me through grief in a shorter period if I were to lose my husband. I pray so. Grief is such a difficult journey. Thank you for your blog, and sharing your heart with all of us. You bring such comfort and hope. And I know that I’m not the only one who is truly blessed by your posts!! ❤ and hugs!
Yes Lynn, I imagine recovering from cancer would make the grief recovery process longer. If you lose your husband, your experience with grief and cancer may be what God uses to help you through your grief. He is a miracle worker with at least a bazillion tools, to help His sons and daughters, at His disposal. I am thankful that you find comfort and hope in JoyReturns. Love and hugs to you as well.