DEATH, FEAR OF

A dying man was fearful, even though he was a born-again Christian. He expressed his feelings to his Christian doctor. The physician was silent, not knowing what to say. Just then a whining and scratching was heard at the door. When the doctor opened it, in bounded his big beautiful dog, who often went with him as he made house calls. The dog was glad to see his master. Sensing an opportunity to comfort his troubled patient, the doctor said, “My dog has never been in your room before, so he didn’t know what it was like in here. But he knew I was in here, and that was enough. In the same way, I’m looking forward to heaven. I don’t know much about it, but I know my Savior is there. And that’s all I need to know!”297

John Wayne, at age 71, explained that he sometimes had difficult moments watching his old movies: “It’s kind of irritating to see I was a good-looking 40-year-old and suddenly I can look over and see this 71-year-old.… I’m not squawking … I just want to be around for a long time.” (From interview with Barbara Walters, ABC Special Report, January 1979.)298