As the hum of the fans diminishes from the sudden power outage, the volume of the Mosque call-to-prayer over the loud speaker escalates. In this moment I know, “Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore.”

Power failure happens regularly in Kenya. We scurried around looking for the “on” switch to the back-up generator to restore temporary power to the necessities of life.

I do the same thing. Some major power source in my life fails and I seek to turn on a temporary/alternate source until the main line can be restored.

Sometimes I turn to God’s ordained generator power; sometimes to man-made alternative fuel. The latter leaves me falsely thinking I have a dependable back up plan if God ever decides to turn out the lights on me again.

How does this relate to our trip to Kenya? Well, I was worried about two things on this trip: a missed flight and sick kids.

Can I say check and check and only a week has passed!

After surviving the airport shenanigan I hoped we were off the hook for awhile. But four days into our family adventure and my daughter informs me, as I’m taking bite #2 of a mouthwatering lunch that I waited 30 minutes for, that her tummy hurts.

“OK, go to the bathroom, I’ll be right there,” I say as I stuff two more bites into my mouth. I mean, I can’t help her throw up! “Moral support,” reminds my husband. “I know….I’m coming….I’m just starving!”

One upchuck down, I assume she’s done and she proceeds to continue her lunch until her tummy revolts and says, “NO! THIS ENTRANCE IS CLOSED”

On the way home she is joined by her friend and co-passenger in the car and together they proceed to lose their lunch multiple times while the rest of us are stuck in heavy Mombasa traffic.

I wish I was making this up.

This bug continues to rip through our two families for the next 4 days, leaving only 4 of us exempt from hugging the toilet.

This was not what I had planned. Just like that power outage. But what do I do? I could grab the solar panels and try an alternative power source, or I can realize that God is in control of all things, including what has happened on this trip. He has allowed it. Maybe He’s re-arranged my plans for a reason and if I’ll plug into Him, He might tell me or atleast comfort me.

I think of Abraham and Sarah. God promised them a son, but because waiting is so hard, and it seemed impossible for her to conceive in her old age, they took matters into their own hand. Can you say alternative power source? The lights went out and they did what they thought they needed to do, but failed to plug into what God’s plans were.

I don’t want to power myself. I’ve done that enough times to know it seems good in the beginning, but in the end, I’m loading up my things like Hagar and going to the wilderness alone.

Instead, when the lights go out around me, what is my back-up generator? What has God provided for me to use to restore power to the necessities of life until power is restored?

It’s in those dark times I know the true power source. I cling to His every Word.

Romans 8:37-39:

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loves us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

In my own words – In all THIS, I am still a conqueror through Christ who loves me. For neither mosquitoes, nor stomach virus, nor missed flights, nor unanswered prayer, nor dashed hopes, nor sleepless nights and tired days, nor anything else that could possibly happen on this trip will be able to separate me from the Love of God.

That’s more dependable than alternative power my way any day.

Thanks to this site for the feature image. I did reformat the original picture.