I give God Almighty all praise, all honour and adoration for the life of Prof. Mary M. Kolawole. Of a truth, "The steadfastness of the Lord never ceaseth. His mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness O Lord.
God was very faithful and steadfast in His love for Mary. Mary found favour before God, (Acts 7:56) and chose her to be a minister unto Him. Praise the Lord.
I did not hear of Mary's ordination as a Pastor, or a Deacon or as an Evangelist yet she touched people's lives in every area. I testified as a faithful minister of God. She ministered in many places of the world; Africa and overseas countries too. God be praised because all the places she went, signs and wonders do follow; like healing the sick, the baren received babies. She also touched the lives of many widows of which I was one of the beneficiaries of the goodness of God upon her life. She was always there for me much more during my challenges of life.
Mary was my childhood friend, we were three as friends and in fact she willingly surrendered her admission letter received from Anglican Girls College to me to go in her place. She does this with the approval of her parents and the school authorities. Mary was always ready to sacrifice even her own conveniences. Apart from this, she always support other people's ministry to help them fulfill in their various ministries. She supported Pastors, deaconess, evangelists and even host of others can testify to this, she has been involved in purchasing car, motorcycles and releasing of funds regularly in support of other ministries for them to achieve their purposes in life.
Mary was always kind, you can never see her angry, very humble a person and I can say categorically that she exhibit a lot of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, she is an epitome of patience, kindness, meekness and love, always caring for people in their plight. As I have said beforehand, Mary manifested so many gifts of the Holy Spirit yet not ordained as a minister, she is a Christian per excellence. We have learnt from her lifestyle that someone can serve God without physical or ceremonial ordination, the most important thing is to be ordained by God and being filled with the Holy Ghost.
PROF. MARY KOLAWOLE LAST DAYS
I will forever be grateful to Almighty God who helped me to be around her just few days before her departure. I will mention just a few of her words and activities in her last few days.
All her life, she loved to shout Alleluia! Alleluia! And she does this shout so often in her last days. As we were told, she sang "Hallelujah is our Heavenly language..." with which she do join the heavenlies. It came to a stage that she started to say O ti ya - Alo ti ya se. Oti ya means. It is now, ready now. We often ask her to stop saying this. Her husband who was always by her side pleaded with her to stop saying this. We never knew that she was ready to go. After this, I started to pray with her, she was responding actively and often pray too. At a time she snatched my Bible from me and placed it upon her head and vehemently told me to stop praying nervous prayer. At this point, I didn't know how to pray again yet continued to pray as the Holy Spirit led me.
One afternoon she woke up from her bed started to shout Alleluia. God who made heaven and earth. He will do miracle she continued to say. Jesu yi dara. Otito ni Jesu o Jesu yi ma dara, odara pupo and started to sing... Lotito lotito e dara, Lotito lotito e dara, Lotito lotito e dara, Jesu e dara. Jesu yi dara pupo. Oluwa ti fase si, Oti fase si, Ani Jesu ti fase si.... She told me... just pray comprehensive prayer. Then she declared openly to all of us in the room with her and her husband... Oluwa mo fi itara Ogo yin fun yin - Ase ti so kale lati orun re. Nipa ase ti Olorun fi da aye ati orun, o ti pase. Oluwa ti fi ase si and she continued to sing; Lotito lotito e dara,... Otito ni Jesu, mo duro loruko Jesu Kristi. With all these we thought that the 'ase' is that God has ordered her healing. Little did we know that she was telling us that her time in this world is over that God has approved her going over to heaven.
Unfortunately, we thought that the crisis was over. The second day she looked very healthy and strong, able to walk around and she danced a lot. She was always listening to music and dancing a lot unaided. That second day she told me to go to a room and intensified prayer for her. What God told me, I never interpreted it as impending death. God said that I should told her that Mary belong to Him (Jesus) that he has total authority over her life not even her husband and children. All these I wrote down and told her husband and herself. We never interpreted it as impending death thou we later realized all these to mean that Jesus was telling us of her coming back home to him. Instead, we were rejoicing for healing. She ate very well and smiled a lot and even cracked jokes. This happened on Friday. During this period her sickness, she was reciting a lot of Bible scriptures off-hand, like Psalm 8, she danced a lot unto Jesus many times. She would asked her husband to read the later part of Psalm 22 several times - for everlasting doors to be opened. To my surprise, I went to the house only to find out that her condition had got worsened. Suddenly, she had to be taken to the hospital where she finally breathed her last.
I was at home when it happened. I woke up at 6am to start to pray for her when I heard the voice telling me that "she is now in her glorified body. I heard it repeatedly, I realized a sense of calmness in my spirit, but the real meaning of that statement did not come to my understanding, a few minutes later, the health care personnel taking care of her phoned me that she has been discharged that I should go to their house. Then, another phone call rang again from their house. Them I drove with speed to her house only to meet many cars packed outside. Then, me the reality of what has happened suddenly done on me. Her death brought a deep sorrow into my heart.
MY CONCLUSION
On getting back home, I rest my head on a pillow in sorrow trying to sleep, the message came again to me - Mary is now on her glorified body, this happens repeatedly. I now knew better, that Mary is now in the bosom of her Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who perviously told me that Mary belonged to Him. It was obvious that it was the prayers of the saints that delayed her so much, that was why the message came when she was been taking to the hospital, she looked so much fresh at that time that I was ruminating in my heart that I never knew that Mary was so much light in complexion. She appeared so beautiful.
To the husband, children, siblings and all members of the family. The Almighty God will stand by you always. I congratulate you Prof. Kolawole for making a family after God's heart. The most surprising thing is the companionship. Indeed, the love you enjoyed with your wife grew from the day you married to her and it be to a greater height beyond human imagination. Always being together, you really shew her care and love much more during her last days. You left everything to be with her and serve her with agape kind of love. At a time when she was sleeping and suddenly woke up, she told me I cannot do anything behind my husband. No one knew her thought then, what she wanted to do. I just told her that no one ask you to do anything. What a great privileged to be there for her. I did not have the privilege of having a joyful home like yours. But Prof. I told you that - that is the day I realized that the great bond between a husband and wife is love and companionship. I had no husband to give me such, so, I prayed that the Holy Spirit should be my companion and help for me and with this I was able to experience God's love. The Holy Spirit has never failed me in this regard, I always enjoyed his presence as He speak to me always.
Professor Kolawole, please ask God that the Holy Spirit should be your companion always and you will see what He will do. The Holy Spirit will gladdens your heart always. Loneliness will not be yours because you will always enjoy His abiding presence in Jesus name.
To the world at large, I say, "what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and loose his soul". Mark 8:36. Mary told us in her dying bed that Jesus is real. She could not take anything with her. Her husband, children, cars and other properties, she could not take anything along even her clothes are left behind. But God told me that Mary left all, for her to be in her glorified body in paradise where nothing matters except soul.
There is power in preparation, prepare for your last day with all consciousness. Be determined, separate yourself from every appearance of sin, make your election sure and certain. I pray that when you close your eyes physically here on earth and your spiritual eyes will be open beyond the rivers, the gate that will be open to you will not be the one that leads to hell fire, it will rather be the one that will leads you to the Lord Jesus. It is unfortunate that at that time, there will be no room for second chance, you will not be able to go back to the world to amend your ways or restitute evils you had done on earth. No matter what people may be saying and writing about you, it cannot save from the grip of hell - hell is a permanent place of abode, there is nothing anybody or you can do to avert it then- it is better you prevent it while you are still alive before it will be too late. Hold-on to Jesus, pray on daily basis, ask God to grant you revelations of where you are heading to. Think of people who have offended you and you refused to forgive or refused to reconcile with! Please, consider this, are you really in Christ Jesus? You have been climbing ladder of your destiny? Are you where you should be? How far have you gone in your God given assignment in life? Have you not retire yourself in God's service even when God has not retire you? Or you just felt that you have been doing too much for God. Are you not saying "it is enough, I don't want to get myself involved in any church activities anymore?" Have you forgotten what the scripture said, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". Life is more than worldly possession, your riches can not buy eternal life. Learn from Mary, she used what she has to help widows and to raise pastors and many ministers of God. She is honest to a fault as the worldjudge. She maximizes life opportunities to bless others, she is a ministering evangelist without any certificate. Mary lived in consciousness of eternity. The ball is now in your court. What will you make of your remaining days for Christ? Listen to the Lord in Rev. 3:20. Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to Him and sup with Him and he with me. What a privileged to dinewith the Lord Jesus!
Please, be alone with Jesus in your privacy and open your heart to Him in prayer. He will never reject you, He will listen to you and repair your spiritual life and reconcile you unto Himself.
Praise God, hallelujah! - By: Evang. Rebecca F.I. Adeyemi.
