I Know How I Want to Die

Some stories are told again and again because they speak to questions people carry deeply. Since 1982, John L. Wheeler has shared one such story—in living rooms, in his clinic office, and in quiet conversations with people facing fear and uncertainty. Again and again, listeners offered the same encouragement: “You should write that down.”

I Know How I Want to Die brings that personal account from spoken conversation to the written page. Its telling has often served to encourage those struggling with fear of death, fear of loss, or uncertainty about whether God is as near as they hope.

The introduction reflects on the intimate nature of storytelling: how a familiar account can meet different listeners in different circumstances while remaining faithful to the same essential facts and people.

For readers who recognize those fears, this book offers a story long shared in moments when words mattered deeply. It invites thoughtful attention to questions of mortality, faith, and God’s nearness.