Free Though None Go with Me by Jerry B. Jenkins Page A

again.
    â€œFor you, Lord,” she whispered.
    She kept working, hoping for some sense of peace, of assurance, of favor. God’s only response was to stop asking the question. Of course, she thought. I already answered. If I’m working for him, I will obey him. If there’s work to do, I’ll do it. And if there’s been an injustice, vengeance will be his.
    Such, Elisabeth decided, was a life that was an experiment in obedience. But certainly there would be some small reward. There had to be some sort of payoff this side of heaven for a life of true devotion. Surely Ben was waiting at the end of this grueling day.
    She finished after eleven and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror on her way out. Her faced was streaked with grime and sweat. Her work dress was nearly soaked through. Elisabeth was desperate for a few minutes with Ben. Simply unburdening herself, telling him what she had endured, would put things back into perspective. She would be able to sleep without dreading the early wakeup.
    But there was no way she could see him looking the way she did.
    Elisabeth hurried back to the cabin, where her coworkers were already sleeping. She was tempted to rouse them, to tell them what she had done and demand to know why it had all been left to her. But she merely grabbed fresh clothes and hurried to the creek, where she disrobed and dove in. The water was so cool and refreshing it made her weep, but time was fleeting. She felt vulnerable in the bright moonlight and feared being seen. She quickly dried and dressed and tied her hair atop her head, then wrapped her clothes in her towel and set out to find Ben.
    But the camp was dark. She didn’t know where his cabin was and didn’t want to—she could never explain being found there, bothering his mates to rouse him. The administration building was dark too, as was the tiny cabin behind it where Reverend Shaw and his family stayed.
    Elisabeth felt faint as she made her way back up the path toward her cabin. She prayed that Ben would be somewhere waiting for her. He was not. It was midnight and she had to be up by six. In fact, if she wanted to get in her time of Bible reading and prayer, she would have to be up before that. There would be no other time, day or night, to make up for lost time in the morning.
    Elisabeth dropped her bundle on the floor, sat on her bunk, lay back without changing into her nightgown, and fell asleep unhappy. Her eyes popped open at five-thirty, and her mood had not changed. Her cabin mates still slept, and she was grateful for the time. After freshening up, she sat on a wooden bench just off the path and read and prayed. She asked God to lift the gloom from her, to remind her again that she was working for him, and to help her examine her motives for having stayed at camp.
    When she arrived at the kitchen she was furious to find that only her supervisor was there. “Your teammates have overslept again,” she was told. “Would you go get them for me?”
    Elisabeth stared at the woman. Everything in her wanted to scream, “No, I will not!” She did her job and still managed to get up early. If they couldn’t get up on time even though they went to bed early and did less work, she should not be expected to roust them out of bed. But she remained silent.
    The woman stared back. “Do you follow directives or do you not? I’m shorthanded, but I’ll fire you before I’ll allow you to be impudent. Need I remind you that we’re working for the Lord here, and that—”
    â€œNo, ma’am. I’m sorry. Right away.” Elisabeth wished she could demand to know who the other girls were working for, still asleep, lazy, no account …
    â€œGood girl.”
    Elisabeth ran up the path, sobs climbing from her chest. Impudence? For the Lord, she told herself over and over. For the Lord.
    When she got to the cabin the other girls were hurriedly dressing. “First