January 9, 2026
Mary C. Neal, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon, lost her life in a kayaking accident and went on a journey to Heaven. She recounted her near-death experience in her bestseller “To Heaven and Back,” which was followed by “7 Lessons from Heaven: How Dying Taught Me to Live a Joy-filled Life.” One of the fundamental lessons she learned and imparts to others is the importance of having what she calls “absolute trust” because only absolute trust can change your life and offer you joy in any circumstances you encounter. The following is an excerpt from her book “7 Lessons from Heaven.”
“I will present a practical and life-tested way to live differently with the beautiful truths of heaven in mind. I call this living with absolute trust. By that I mean, you and I aren’t supposed to simply press on in the hope that God’s promises are true, or even a general belief in or faith that God’s promises are true. Instead, we’re invited to thrive in absolute trust that God is good, His promises are true, and we can trust Him completely with our lives now and forever.
“Moving from hope to absolute trust will radically change what you feel, think, and believe. Most of all, it leads us to what most of us have always wanted anyway—a joy-filled life. We just try to get there by following paths that lead nowhere.
“I will also show you how to keep your focus on trust and why living with absolute trust holds so much promise for joy in your life. The wonderful news is that living in absolute trust is not just for people who have visited heaven. It’s meant for everyone, and I believe God means it to change how we live in very practical ways: how we welcome success, face challenges, process the death of a loved one, approach our daily work, raise our children, interact with people around us, and pursue our dreams.”
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