Matali’s hand unconsciously lingered over her flat belly, and tears that were eager to be her morning companion sprang up. Two white saris flitted by outside, catching Matali’s eye. She pushed back her dark thoughts and opened her door to follow the women she watched every day.
Miscarriage’s Many Visits to Matali
Matali had arrived in this village two years previously as a new bride. She was determined to make a comfortable home for her husband, Ayush, who worked hard every day at a factory manufacturing medication.
What should have been two blissful years of newlywed joy for Matali and Ayush was marked instead by sorrow and grief. Matali became pregnant very quickly, but before she completed the first trimester, Matali lost her baby. Two more pregnancies and two more miscarriages dismayed the young bride who longed to be a mother. Matali wanted to bring joy into her husband’s life, but it seemed all they had was grief.
Ayush worried for his wife and sought medical treatment for her, trusting doctors to diagnose and treat the cause of Matali’s miscarriages. Both Ayush’s and Matali’s parents offered sacrifices and prayed to their gods for the blessing of a child, but neither medical help nor religious activities enabled Matali to carry a baby to full term.
During this time, two women bought milk every day from Matali’s neighbor. At first Matali didn’t think anything about the women passing her home, but their simple white dresses stood out, contrasting with the typical fashion of bold, colorful prints. Matali became intrigued by the two women who appeared young, serene and set apart somehow.
One day, Matali went out and talked with the women and learned they were Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported Sisters of Compassion who served Jesus.
The sisters began to visit with Matali when they came to buy milk, and the women became friends. Soon they leasrned about Matali’s heartache and encouraged her to trust in Jesus, the living God who rose from the dead. Surely, He could cause life to spring up in Matali’s womb.
Hope Blossoms in Matali’s Heart
Accepting the sisters’ invitation, Matali and Ayush visited the nearby church led by Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor Sachitan. The couple shared with the pastor their intent in visiting his church: They wanted a baby and hoped Jesus would do something. Pastor Sachitan and the other believers gathered around Matali and Ayush and prayed for them, asking God to bless the young couple with a baby.
The next month, Matali knew she was pregnant again.
Fear and joy wrestled in her heart. As the first trimester progressed, Matali noticed a difference between this pregnancy and her others. Hope would rise in Matali’s heart, but then memories of what had happened in the past would send that hope scattering into the wind.
By the beginning of the second trimester, Matali and Ayush’s faith in Jesus grew with the baby in her belly. She did not have any of the complications of the previous pregnancies, and the couple knew Jesus had answered their prayers.
Ayush’s mother came to stay with Matali to take care of her, and she started going to the church with her son and daughter-in-law. Matali’s pregnancy continued normally, causing all three to praise Jesus for His miraculous gift of life.
New Life for the Entire Family
Matali’s life was so different than it used to be. She no longer worried about her baby—she knew Jesus was watching over the life developing within her. The Sisters of Compassion came to Matali’s home every Wednesday for prayer and fellowship. The sisters presented Matali and Ayush with a gift to celebrate their growing family: a Bible. Ayush read it every morning before going to work and each night before bed.
Now, Matali, Ayush and his mother faithfully worship Jesus every Sunday, and all three plan to testify to their new faith.
Matali praises God for her struggles, which led her family to know Jesus. When her baby is born, the child will grow up knowing Jesus his or her whole life. Matali’s pain and sorrow have given way to contentment and anticipation of good things in the future.
