09/06/2026
Today, a Facebook memory reminded me of a season from 4 years ago that shaped our family far more deeply than we realised then.
Back then, Joe had just lost his first and only job of 18 years — what we once thought was our “iron rice bowl”. It was a season filled with uncertainty, quiet prayers and learning to trust God one step at a time.
During that season, our neighbour unexpectedly asked whether we could help petsit while she travelled overseas for work. We welcomed the opportunity because honestly, we needed income then.
Not long after that was also going to be our son Jayden’s birthday. Every year, we would go for a simple family staycation. But that year, after searching for the most budget-friendly option possible, I told him we would only go for 1 night.
I still remember him innocently asking,
“Why not 2 nights?”
My heart quietly sank.
And I remember having this silent thought in my heart:
“If only someone could bless us with a staycation.”
Sometime later while chatting, our neighbour casually asked whether we had any travel plans now that borders were reopening. We shared about Jayden’s birthday staycation, and to our surprise, she offered us complimentary stays she had at Resorts World Sentosa.
What moved me most wasn’t the staycation itself, but how deeply personal it felt during that season.
It reminded me that sometimes God cares not only about our needs, but also the quiet thoughts and burdens we carry silently in our hearts.
Looking back now, perhaps that season was part of our family’s freedom journey too — learning that even in uncertainty, we were never unseen.
And perhaps even more meaningfully, it became an opportunity for Jayden to personally experience that God sees and cares for us too.
“You understand my thoughts from afar.”
— Psalm 139:2