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En The Silent Minute
"He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us." 2 Corinthians 1:4
Every minute, somewhere in the world, 44 women lose their baby before birth*. Marcela lost her baby in one of those minutes. Her baby's little life ended before it began, and with it, the dreams in Marcela's heart of becoming a mother were lost too.
Marcela was sent home to Santiago, Chile, without her baby. There she began the hard work of physical recovery and emotional grief, but these are things a mother never forgets. Life moves on, yes, but often hearts and minds remain stuck in that tragic minute, unable to move forward. That is where Marcela was when Paola met her.
Paola is a believer who joined an outreach with the church Generación de Fe, Misión La Florida in the metropolitan area of Chile. This area is lively, filled with families and busy streets. Yet, it also hides pain and spiritual need. In that setting, God allowed their paths to cross. Paola's words were no coincidence. They would comfort Marcela, just as He had comforted Paola in her own time of loss. She had felt the pain of a grandchild who never reached her arms.
The conversation began smoothly. Marcela, burdened and heartbroken, soon shared what had happened to her and simply said that she was sad. That shared pain opened a bridge of empathy and hope. Later, Marcela's mother joined them, carrying the sorrow of losing her grandchild. Paola shared the Esperanza (Hope) magazine with both of them and pointed to the Psalms that speak of comfort. They prayed together, and what seemed like a minute marked only by loss became a moment filled with hope.
What seemed like a coincidence—the pain Marcela felt, Paola's presence, and her mother's arrival—was really part of God's beautiful plan. In that very place where life had seemed to stop, God reached Marcela and her mother with His eternal comfort. Reminding them that nothing happens outside of His purpose.
Stories like this show the importance of relational evangelism. It allows us to have genuine conversations, to share our experiences with honesty, and to realize that what we have lived may also be the reality of others. In that space of identification and empathy, many are led to Christ.
*The Lancet (2021). "Miscarriage matters: the epidemiological, physical, psychological, and economic costs of miscarriage."
