The first time I seriously thought about death was when I rode home from the funeral home with my parents after a man my dad worked with had died. I started asking questions, and I became very worried about the future. What happened when we died? What did death even mean? The worries grew to fears and though I’m sure my parents answered my questions, I couldn’t quite grasp their explanations.

One day, to help me understand it all better, in a way my eight-year-old mind could comprehend, my big sister handed me a little booklet titled, My Heart – Christ’s Home by Robert Boyd Munger. I plopped onto my parents’ big bed and read it cover to cover. Mr. Munger’s book pierced my heart. It exposed the fact that I was a sinner and that Jesus wanted to come into my heart and cleanse every room, taking ownership of the whole house. He would make my heart clean and whole, if I would but give him the keys.

As I closed the book, my eyes shut with it and I prayed with every ounce of my being. “Dear Lord, please come into my heart.” I opened my hand and offered him the imaginary keys. “And take all the keys to every room. Clean them out and live there. I give my whole heart to you.” To the best of my child-like ability, I surrendered my life to Jesus. When my prayer ended, I felt this all encompassing sense of peace. I tested it right away with thoughts of dying, and there was no fear! I was free from the biggest fear that plagues mankind.

I knew that Jesus would be with me from then on, wherever I went, and that one day, I would be with Him in heaven. Many years have come and gone since then. I won’t tell you that those years have all been easy because they haven’t. But this one thing I know. Christ is at home in my heart by faith because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross when he died for my sins. His death cancelled the debt I owed to God for my sin, and His resurrection gave me the power to become His child because I believe in His name. Even death can’t take that from me. And I look forward to being with Him face to face someday.