Glimpse of my life as I leave this body

Bro. Koilmani slept in the Lord on 15^th July 2022 at 10:30 pm, fighting the good fight, finishing his course, and keeping the faith. At his young age, he lost his dad and grew up with his mother and studied mechanics. His career begun in Indian Air Force as aircraft mechanic. He was very zealous for Christ ever since he accepted Jesus as his personal saviour. With his wife and four children, he travelled across the nation serving the country with patriotism, and at the same time keeping his zeal for Christ ever burning. He resigned after his first 15 years of IAF service and was called by BHEL, which later helped him to build his family. He was posted in Saudi Arabia for their gas turbine power project, and his zeal for Christ grew even more. He used to teach and preach the Gospel of Christ to his fellow-being boldly not afraid of capital punishment prevalent in that land. He brought-up his Children sternly and lovingly in Christ. The places he lived never had Churches and in-spite of it, the house never missed the Sunday worship and the family praising. He will never miss family praising irrespective of any hindrances be it during his traveling or in any remote location. He practiced what he taught about trusting in Lord and keeping faith in God. He was actively involved in all Church activities wherever he was in translations, Sunday School, dawn praising, open-air ministry, etc. He was finally transferred to Chennai before his retirement, and his spiritual life bloomed even more as he was able to spend more time in the fellowship from children of God and ministers of God. He exactly matched what Psalmist sang in 1:1-3. He never walked in the counsel of ungodly nor stood with sinners nor sat with scornful. He delighted in the law of the Lord and mediated day and night. The Lord exalted him in all the things he did. He was extremely hard worker, using all his calibre he gathered as a mechanic and as a boiler maintenance in his day-to-day life including Church ministries.

Medicines were far for him as his trust was only on the Lord and was an ensample for others. He always makes a covenant with Lord before praying for healing or deliverance and keeps it by testifying once the weakness or sickness departs. In every walk of his life, he has encountered many sicknesses and weaknesses, but claimed the sword of the Lord promise and Jesus stripes and took victory to move on.

His love for Christ grew stronger as his physical age kept growing. He used to study the Word of God almost day and night with interest and would share his findings with everyone he meets. Later his findings were posted in a blog for wider consumption. His recent passion was on Bride of Christ, and he gave his full to complete and publish. At his late 70s, he went and enrolled in Hindustan Bible College and completed his theology. He became an eye opener to many lecturers and professors there with his immense richness in Word of God.

He had an attitude of never give-up and strove hard to achieve it with whatever hardship it gave. He designed portable trolley to carry luggage in early 80s to carry luggage while travelling in train, when there was no trolley in those days and were filled with porters. He would do all the works himself – be it masonry, carpentry, electricals, and academics. In another incident, when Chennai was flooded in 2015, all the communication networks were down, and all were moving to high places. Yet, he boldly used his God given wisdom to pass through this challenging situation with grace and ease. He was able to carry many heavy items with ease using floating system and pully to take it upstairs and lived with natural resources amidst calamities. The recent pandemic that impacted the globe, where all schools and offices and churches were shutdown, he was not moved, but continued his faith in the Lord and with all bodily sacrifices, continued his fasting and prayers. The praising with a small group continued virtually ever since pandemic started and lasted till his last breath. He was a man of prayer and rich in Word of God, with never-let-go attitude.

There was an apartment construction coming up behind his house and there were two trees that were objecting the construction, and the people requested to cut the tree. He saw the situation and stated that he can straighten the bent tree for construction to be carried out without any hassle. He used his tools and with the help of turnbuckle system, was able to make the tree straight in the span of 3 months, and it amazed everyone on his knowledge and calibre. Though he was physically old, his spirit within was young and wanted to always go-for-it. Many advised to restrict stern physical activities, and he takes up, but when none come to support his ideas, he moves on to continue his hardship activities using physics to manoeuvre. Recently, during the windy season the steel ropes were broken from one of the trees he straightened, and at the age of 78 he went ahead with the mission to succeed. It was on 14^th July 2022 as usual with all his safety he climbed the tree using techniques to tie the steel rope. He could not do it with ease, and he rebuked the spirit which was troubling him to put the rope around the tree, which was above 18 feet from ground. He came down after some try and went to his bed to rest for a while as his chest was paining. He was normal as these pains were part of his hardship life. He intended to rest for a while and again go and try, but his body did not cooperate. He was feeling tired and rested. The next day, Friday the 15th of July 2022, he took hot shower to ease his body pain and rested to be strengthened to complete this pending work. Again, his body did not allow. He had his breakfast and lunch to be strengthened more, but still he found himself little weak. Around 4 in the evening, he started gasping for breath, and that is the time his wife around him got worried as she saw him gasping and informed the servant of God. Everyone started praying for him, and he got bed ridden at 5:00 pm. He was conscious and kept singing song and praying for everyone who came to visit him. Around 8 in the night, his children came, and he girded up his loins and sought help to make him sit down straight. He praised God and sang the English Chorus 111 (Jesus is with me wherever I go…) and asked for food. The family members surrounded him prayed and offered food. He ate all the food and gave water to drink. He thanked God and asked the time, and when it came to know it is family praising time, he requested to sing the song from Tamil hymn 172 (nidham thoathiram seiguvein Dheva Kumaaraa). We all sang this song in unison, and he filled in Holy Spirit and shared few points to praise God. He concluded the prayers and drank water. Many believers started coming to see him and with his gasping breathe, he greeted them and listened to them and prayed for them and sent them. It was around 10 in the night, he asked to set his bed aright for resting. He adjusted himself comfortably in the bed and kept praising God with heavy breath, and it was around 10:30 in the night the heaviness of his breath stopped and rested in the Lord. Praise the Lord!

Advertisement

• Christian