Answering Liberty's Call

As he read, I scanned the faces of the people in the congregation and saw the dawning excitement I experienced a few months before. But now, fear overshadowed my excitement. What would independence from England and Crown rule mean? What would it cost to gain it? Benjamin read the crimes of the King. When he came to, “‘He has plundered our Seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our Towns, and destroyed the lives of our People,’” his voice shook for a moment, and he cleared his throat. I saw the tears in his eyes, and a combination of pride, patriotism, and fear caused the tears pooling in my own. 

My pride swelled at Benjamin’s commitment to change and for what our nation accomplished outside the grasping hand of the King. I saw enough of what Crown rule did to us to want independence, too. But I feared war would force families like ours into long separations. If we lost, what would happen to the men who rebelled?

 As I watched my husband stand before his congregation, I could almost see the fresh flames burst forth from the smoldering coals of his ideals.