All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised.—Hebrews 11:39 (NLT)

When I was in grammar school, like so many children I learned the history of the American Revolution. But it wasn’t until I moved to Carmel, New York, to be the interim pastor of the Gilead Presbyterian Church that the early history of our country became alive for me. 

The church was founded in 1743, and for many years congregants worshipped in a building atop Seminary Hill, where the old Gilead burying ground is still located. One of those buried is a patriot spy named Enoch Crosby. His bravery wasn’t without risk and near-death experiences. When he was uncovered, he was beaten and left to die, and another time he was shot. Many years after the war, he became a trustee of the church. 

In the town, there is the bronze statue of Sybil Ludington. The statue depicts Sybil, a sixteen-year-old girl, on horseback, screaming and waving the stick that she used to knock on doors and whack highwaymen who got in the way. She called out the volunteer military by riding alone forty miles and alerting the countryside to the burning of Danbury, Connecticut, by the British. 

The stories of Enoch and Sybil are vivid reminders of the valor and sacrifices it took for our country to become a nation. Their commitment for freedom gives us hope and inspires us on this Fourth of July: together, people from all walks of life can accomplish the impossible and keep on working to leave a better nation for future generations.