I have always had this fear of dying, maybe a little more than others. Then a few days before my 50th birthday I went into the hospital with a little pain near my left shoulder blade. After some tests, they decided to do a cath test of my heart. It revealed a 90% blockage of a main artery. I mean I was a walking talking heart attack waiting to happen. However, up this this point, all I had was a little pain.

The doctor decided to put a stint in to help the blood flow. As he was working on it, I started feeling two spots of burning pain, one on each side of my breast bone. Then I started feeling nausea and dizzy. I figured this was it. The death I feared was very near. I felt panic and fear. I also felt pain.

Finally, I just gave up. In my mind, I said, “Well, I guess this is it. In just a while, I’ll see Jesus face to face.” Suddenly, the fear and panic were gone. Just a short time later, the pain went away too. There on that table during that procedure, I felt the presents of Jesus.

As I said many times before, I was saved at 13. However, there on that table, during that procedure, I felt a peace that most will never understand. I knew that if I had died then and there, Jesus was right there to take care of me.

He didn’t take me that day, but it changed my life, my outlook. I still fear death. However, I do feel a peace about it. I know that when my time comes, Jesus will be right there. He will help me through it and He will take me home.

That day at that time, I never felt so much peace before or since, odd as that might seem in the midst of a heart attack.

Incidentally, what caused the pain was a small piece of plaque that broke loose and floated downstream blocking a smaller artery. It did kill a small part of my heart. It’s still not something I ever want to go through again, but if and when it happens, I know Jesus will be there to take care of me.

I can’t imagine anyone wanting to go through something like that without Jesus. I strongly suggest you accept Jesus as your savior. I am sure that if you don’t and something like that happens to you, you will not be feeling peace. You do not want to face Jesus without accepting Him as your savior. It would be far better for you to feel the same peace I did. Now, at 73, I am more sure of that then ever.