The Apostle Paul’s desire was that he would not die but rather would be among the living who would rise to “meet the Lord in the air”. I am sure that this is your desire too. Who would not choose to go from this mortal body to their immortal one?
“But many have died who also hoped for the return of Jesus in their time”, someone may protest. Yes, but Christ’s return will take place sometime, so why not in our time? After all, the tribes of Israel are back in the Holy Land, as God promised in Ezekiel’s well-known “Valley of Dry Bones” prophecy. Plus, world events are more tense now than they’ve been for fifty years. Anxiety is by far the greatest pandemic worldwide.
Many years ago, someone wrote a book entitled “Millions Now Living Will Never Die.” (The author was a JW, I think, so I’ve not read the book.) It was written so long ago that the “millions” referred to in the title as “now living” must be long dead — including the author. (A wit later changed the title to “Many now living will never diet.”)
Christians do not fear death because Jesus Christ “has abolished death and has brought life and immortality to light” through the Gospel. Not dying but receiving a new body — an immortal one — while still alive by rising to meet the Lord in the air must surely be every believer’s preference. It is certainly mine!
Being changed physically from mortal to immortal in the blink of an eye without experiencing death will surely be the experience of a lifetime — the final one in fact, because eternity is timeless and never-ending. My personal belief is that Elijah the prophet, on his return, will be not a day older than he was the day he left Earth and entered Heaven.