WHAT IS LIFE? VERY SHORT!

I am the second of eight children of Mr. and Mrs. Ramyo and Zingthanla Muivah. I am, to use Paul's words in 1 Timothy 1:15, the foremost among the sinners. Probably there is no sin that I have not committed. Like the prodigal son, though I wandered and squandered away my life to the point of death, my heavenly Father reached out with His love and extended my life. I praise and thank God for this unmerited blessing and opportunity to testify to Him. Words fail to describe His love, but I surely know that His mercy endures forever. Today I have come this far because God saved me many times from the jaws of death, both physically and spiritually. 

I am a Naga living in Denmark because of my work. In 2004 both my kidneys failed and for the next seven years I survived with kidney dialysis. Last year my health deteriorated further. In spite of numerous tests, examinations and treatments for a long time, we were unable to find out what disease or sickness was afflicting me. 

Later it was found out I was suffering from tuberculosis. Medication followed immediately. After a month my entire legs were attacked with herpes virus. According to my doctors the virus had to be stopped from reaching my brain as that would be fatal. 

One evening I had to be rushed to the emergency ward of the hospital because of acute pain in my hip. On the advice of the doctor I was hospitalized.  The following day, my wife, Mo, spent the whole day comforting and supporting me. After she left that evening around 11 p.m. my body heated up abnormally and I began to sweat profusely. Then I vomited uncontrollably and became delirious. I was later told how I turned very aggressive and it took six hospital attendants to pin me down before the doctor sedated me with an injection. I went into a deep sleep. 

Early next day the hospital informed my wife of my condition. She came immediately with two of her friends. She was shocked to see the state I was in. Just before their arrival I hallucinated followed by a bout of aggressiveness and started assaulting the nurses around me. For my wife, I was not the same person she left the previous night; the person with whom she was talking to lovingly. Above all I was not able to recognize her at all. Needless to say she was extremely scared.

During that commotion my wife phoned my brother Thotthing in Canada, who could hear me shouting in the background in my mother tongue, 'Satan is coming!' Thotthing called my younger brother, Rev. Yarngam (a pastor in Imphal, Manipur, India) around midnight and told him, 'Let us pray for our elder brother as he seems to be troubled by harmful forces.' When my family and friends at home heard the news they all fervently prayed for my healing.

As I was becoming aggressive, increasingly I had to be continually injected with a sedative. My wife was concerned that too many injections would prove harmful rather than helpful to me, not to mention of later potential complications. She decided to take the risk of staying near me to calm me without further injections. Whenever I became aggressive she would pray for me and call me 'Amei' (meaning 'brother'), an endearing term and title used by younger sisters, girls and wives toward their elders and husbands. 

Apparently, on hearing my wife's voice, I would turn toward her and calm down. Seeing that her presence was more powerful than six men to control me, she was allowed to stay by my side at the hospital. 

Late one evening while my wife was praying, I regained consciousness and calling her with tears in my eyes said, 'Mo, my dear, I am very exhausted. This is the end. There is nothing much to do for me now. I won't be coming back. Let us meet in heaven. Please tell my family I love them very much. And may you continue to love them.' Having said this, I slipped back into unconsciousness. 

My poor wife broke down on hearing this and embracing me pleaded, 'Amei, do you want to leave me alone in this world?'

After some time my lungs failed completely and I stopped breathing. The doctors and nurses were completely caught by surprise and I was taken into the ICU (Intensive Care Unit). Some doctors tried to clean and clear my lungs, while other doctors tried to revive me with electric shock. To spare my wife from the pains of seeing these frantic efforts to save my life, she was requested to go outside. But my wife was adamant and said, 'Come whatever may be I will be with my husband to the end. Who knows he might  have a few last words to say.' She was allowed to stay and see the rescue process. 

She later confessed to me that from a human point of view it was difficult to hope for me to come back. But she kept her optimism as she realized, 'Our hope is in God who creates, sustains and controls the life of my husband Ameipam.' At that moment of despair and death ' the God of hope came and strengthened us all.

Thanks to the tireless dedication and wisdom of the doctors and nurses I, was able to breathe again though it was some time before I became conscious. Generally no one is allowed to stay or sleep with the patient in the ICU, but an exception was made for my wife as she was the only one able to control my raging outbursts. 

She placed the Bible under my pillow. When asked by the nurses about the book under my pillow, my wife told them it was the Bible, which I would have been happy to have as I was a Bible loving person. The nurses being secular were both amused and surprised. 

On the third day at midnight the doctor told my wife, 'According to the laboratory report the condition of your husband Apam is critical; his survival chances are 50/50. Before we continue to treat him further, would you like to spend some moment with him alone?' 

After my wife responded affirmatively, the doctors and nurses left her alone. Sitting beside my head, she sorrowfully looked at my almost lifeless body and in desperation she wept as she cried in prayer to the Lord. Taking out the Bible, she read and reread Psalm 23 until dawn.

In the morning she phoned my family to update them of my situation. During that trying time she was deeply comforted by the words my father sent her, 'Dear daughter-in-law, do not fear nor be sad. If the Lord says it is time for Ameipam to go we cannot stop it. For now let us take our petition and grief to Him in prayers.' 

The next day she went to the laboratory to get my test results, fearing the worst. But the results were positive! I still have a fighting chance to live and tell my story! 

Afterwards I recollected a vision or a dream I had while I was in a coma. I was looking out of the hospital window and shouted, 'What are you trying to teach me Lord?!' Just before I regained consciousness I also saw a multitude of people surrounding me and praying aloud. 

After that I gradually started to come to my senses. I was in a coma for six days. Nobody expected me to come back alive. But human's thoughts are not God's thoughts; God had a plan for me. What is humanly impossible is possible for God. 

After I recuperated I asked my doctors what went wrong with me. They gave me two possible explanations:

1:  Firstly, my aggressive behavior could be the side effect of the tuberculosis medication.

2:   Secondly, it could be that the herpes virus went to my head (which actually could have killed me).

To this day no doctor is able to explain satisfactorily what happened to me or what I went through. As for me I know this: It all happened to declare the glory and majesty of God. When all seemed lost and hopeless God is there - making and showing for us a new, living way.

I have regained my health today. God healed and made me whole, not because of my goodness, but because of the deep and heartfelt prayers of my family and friends who stood by me during those difficult and trying days. God does listen to the prayers of his children. I want to thank all those who prayed for me. I exhort you to continue to remember those who are in need of healing.

That I am able to witness to the wondrous glory of God, and it is an occasion for me to truly thank God.  I will thank Him always and ever. I do not know how much time God has added to my life, but this I know, as long as I have breath in me I will praise His mighty name and serve Jesus Christ as my redeemer.

Dear friends - I want to say this again - our God is indeed a living God. As the resurrected One He raises us up from the dead and heals the sick. He is the true God that loves all sinners unconditionally. As He loves and heals a sinner like me, He will receive those who come to him with their burdens. Jesus is lovingly calling us to come home: would you not respond to Him? Do not harden your heart, mind and spirit when He is tenderly calling you ' lest we miss this favorable time. Open the door of your life to Him while the Lord is knocking.

May God richly bless all of you who are reading my testimony to God.

PLEASE HELP US HELP YOU SHARE THE BEST NEWS GOD HAS FOR EVERY PERSON BECAUSE...

JESUS DID IT! and...

YOU ARE SO GREATLY NEEDED!

Remember:  All that we do in this life comes back to our God-given purpose which is to serve and glorify God. The money and assets we accumulate, the fame and power we've attained or seek to attain - all of the things of this nature will one day pass away, but those lives of others we impact for Jesus Christ will last for eternity, and we will be rewarded for the part we helped play by impacting those lives ... for eternity. (Matthew 6:19-20 is our assurance)