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RICKY REGALADO (May 2010)

Good morning. My name is Ricky Regalado, husband to one wife, father to one daughter. My family and I have been living in Singapore for the past three years.

STRESSFUL. I believe that is one of the best words to describe life in Singapore. The demands of work, school, and the high cost of living all contribute to a stressful life. It seems that we are in a constant struggle to balance work and family life. So how does one maintain a balanced life? The answer for me and my family is – total dependence on God’s grace.

God is faithful and He has promised to bless His children both in this life and in the next. My family and I decided to move to Singapore so that we will have a better life. We prayed hard about it. Our prayers were very specific, but when God did not seem to answer them the way we hoped for, we just had to take that step of faith. God told us that His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. He assured us that He will provide for all of our needs. To make the long story short, we have never lacked anything and we are even able to save money and have extra for our enjoyment. We have always given our tithes to the Lord and his promise to open the floodgates of heaven to bless us has proved true in our lives. No, He has not blessed us with financial or material abundance. In fact, life has been very simple for us in this country where accumulation and enjoyment of material things is considered highly important. I used to think that I wasn’t blessed when I had financial difficulties, sickness, or suffering. If everything went well in this world for me and my family, then I was truly blessed. I realized I’ve set my heart in this world and not on my faithful Lord. Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-20 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal."

God’s blessings for us in Singapore have come in different ways. He has met all of our physical and financial needs and we have never lacked anything. Note that I am talking about "needs" and not "greeds". He has blessed me greatly by allowing me and my family to be together. Jane and Revekah are the most important people in my life and I cannot even imagine being separated from them because of the need to earn more money. He has blessed us with a d-group ministry where He continues to use us and our members for mutual encouragement and exhortation. It is a great blessing to be involved in the lives of our brothers and sisters as we help one another grow in the faith. And lastly, He has blessed us with trials. Yes, I stand before you now to testify that the greatest blessing that God has given to me and my family is the blessing of character growth through difficulties. No, we have not arrived. We are still in the process. And the process will continue until our Father calls us home. Just as the vinedresser prunes the vine, or the refiner refines the gold, so is God molding and shaping us so that we will become more like Him. It’s hard, and sometimes I find myself saying to God, "Enough Lord. Give me a break." In His sovereignty He tells us in 2 Corinthians 12:9,"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." More than that, what keeps us going and persevering is the hope of heaven in our hearts. Romans 8:18-25 says,

18For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

When we get to heaven one day and stand before our King, the words that I long to hear Him say are, "Well done good and faithful servant."

Thank you.

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