Pioneers

Carolyn Lewis
Posted 12/25/20

Toby’s ancestors were some of the early “Pioneers” in Wyoming.

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Pioneers

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Toby’s ancestors were some of the early “Pioneers” in Wyoming.  From St. Joseph, Mo., they helped build the railroad across Canada and then contracted to do the dirt work for the railroad to and through Wyoming.  They miscalculated the cost of the work around Guernsey, thinking the hills were mostly dirt and finding solid rock, and they went broke.  Granny and Grandpa Lewis and her parents, the Stoddarts, had to find jobs and start over.  There’s a place called Stoddart’s Cut east of Guernsey which was cut out of rock and was the place that finally did them in. 

Their life took on a new direction, as Granny’s parents ran the hotel in Guernsey and her husband, Grandpa Lewis, took a job working on the canal.  He eventually got discouraged and left home, leaving Granny with four young children to raise and no help.  She ran a boarding house and café in Wyncote to make ends meet and raise her family alone.  As Wyncote dissolved, she ran a hotel in Torrington, raised her kids, and went on to life out her life in Torrington.

I think we in Wyoming understand that “Pioneer Spirit” and have relied on it most of our lives.  I know in our 58 years of marriage we have suffered some very great losses and started over a few times.  Some of our losses were because of economic conditions and some were the result of bad decisions we made, but they all took a lot of strength, hope and endurance to change our circumstances. 

We seem to be living in times of uncertainty right now, too, and our whole country is involved in this one.  Many people will have the opportunity to take a new path in life.  A lot of the success involved in that is determined by our attitude.  When Granny had to fend for herself, she relied on her faith in God to guide her and give her strength to do her job.  She maintained that faith throughout her life, taking care of herself until she was 97 years old.  She was a very strong woman and a good example for the whole family.

For 40 years I have taken time on New Year’s Day to spend time in prayer with God praying for our family and for the coming year.  God usually starts giving me verses that apply to my life and I record them and pray about them for the year ahead.  Last year He gave me a lot of verses on strength and confidence to study and apply to areas of my life.  This year He has been showing me verses hope, peace and helping one another.  

Romans 14:19 “So then let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.”  Many families will be going through difficulties during the coming year and we need to be as helpful as we can.  With the continuing spread of the virus and the slowdown of business many people are hurting and needing encouragement and help.  

Romans 15:13 “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”   There are many verses on hope in the Bible, and I have written in the margins of many of them that on a certain date I really needed hope.  As I reread those verses and see my notes, I’m reminded of how bad things were and how God answered our call for help and helped us through those times.  It wasn’t always a “quick fix” as some of our problems were large, but I learned that our hope comes from the Holy Spirit and not from life, and He was able to encourage us through our daily Bible readings and keep us going.  God showed us He was working and our faith was able to get us through the tough times.  

We will be entering brand new territory as we begin 2021, and we will need to be strong and courageous, as well as discerning as we begin a new year.  That “Pioneer Spirit” will be needed as in the old days, because this will be uncharted territory.  We must hold fast to our faith in God and rely on His direction and strength to proceed.  Romans 15:5-7 says “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”

As you start the New Year in your Quiet Time be aware of verses God is showing you that will guide you in this New Year we are entering, and remember to stay on the path of discovery in your Bible reading.  Happy Trails!