When God Calls The Heart: Devotions From Hope ValleySýnishorn

Eviction Notices 

“You have every right to be afraid. We all do. But we mustn’t lose hope. I believe there’s a reason for every fear we face and every hardship we suffer—and it’s to make us all stronger people.” –Elizabeth Thatcher

Times were difficult for the widows of Coal Valley. They were still grieving the loss of their husbands and sons in the coal mine accident. All the responsibilities of life now fell on their shoulders, and the load was heavy. But then another lace-up boot dropped. 

The widows discovered “Notice to Quit Premises” nailed to the doors of their company houses. Abigail Stanton and the others understood the company needed to make room for new miners who could clear the mine and rebuild, but how were the women going to move their families in two weeks’ time, and where would they go? 

With no time or money to hire a lawyer, Elizabeth Thatcher and her students searched for a legal way for the women to keep their homes, but their efforts fell short. Some of the wid­ows wanted to give up and move on. Others wanted to fight to keep what they had. But Abigail had another idea: What if the women went to work clearing the shafts themselves? 

Mayor Henry Gowen, head of the mine company, laughed when the women showed up dressed and ready to dig out the mine. They were willing to face the risks on one condition: If they could clear the shafts in time, they would have the right to stay in their homes. Mayor Gowen decided to humor them and agreed to the plan, but he fully expected them to fail within a week. 

Can you imagine the fear and trepidation of going to work in a collapsed coal mine? Can you picture facing the dangers of a methane gas leak, or breathing in that black dust, or bang­ing your body against all those sharp rocks? 

What is your collapsed coal mine? What eviction notices have been tacked up on your door? What situation right now feels so overwhelming that you don’t think you can get through it? 

In times like these, we have a few choices. We can wallow in our hardships, and become worrywarts and victims of our circumstances. Or we can do what the widows of Coal Valley did. First, they kept their eyes on the prize. Failure was not an option. Second, they had to face their fears and get outside their comfort zones—that’s the only way impossible challenges become possible. 

And third, they realized that they were much stronger if they labored together than they would be as individuals— because as the Scriptures tell us, a cord of many strands is an unbreakable force.