Introduction
This is the second and final part of a short story about Ellie and how she finds a new Father.
Ellie Higgins is 21. She has just completed her finals at Uni and is excited to see a new chapter in her life unfolding before her. But things don’t go according to plan – well, not her plan anyway.
This story retells some of the great Bible truths, and particularly how you can truly find God, your Spiritual Father. He is a God of awesome power and love. We see and understand His nature as we read about Him in the Bible. We also read about His Son, Jesus, and His miracles of healing and deliverance.
His resurrection power is still available in your life and mine today. You can find a God who gives time to you and treats you exactly according to your needs. Most of all you can discover a Father who shows compassion, forgiveness, justice and restoration to sinners and who understands what it is to be you.
Part 1 was published on this Bearing Kingdom Fruit blog on Monday 12th January
The Story so far:
Ellie has just completed her final year at University. Her exam results were disappointing, particularly for her father who expected, well demanded, she would pass with first class honours. On top of it all her boyfriend had called a halt to their relationship and announced he was heading to the other side of the world without her.
Devastated by these events Ellie set off for a walk in her favourite woods to try and recompose herself. As she walked deeper into the woods she suddenly found herself completely lost, despite her knowing the walks like the back of her hand. Then first it started raining heavily and then she sprained her ankle, painfully. The story continues …..
Ellie Finds Her Father
Part 2
Suddenly, Ellie realised she was no longer alone. Through the tears and pain she sensed someone standing beside her. She opened her eyes. It was a man, tall and lean, weather-beaten and well-protected from the elements by an oilskin overcoat and a wide-brimmed hat. He held a long shepherd’s crook. Ellie let out a sigh of relief. She tried to get to her feet but the pain was too much.
The stranger jammed his crook into the wet soil and stepping towards her, bent down and offered her his hand. She grasped his hand gratefully and he gently pulled her to her feet. Then he stepped back. He looked into Ellie’s eyes with an intensity that took her breath away; his look was sharp and piercing and yet at the same time gentle, full of knowledge and compassion.
He spoke first: “Hello Ellie, I’ve been expecting you!”
She must have looked puzzled, and found herself unable to reply, which allowed the man to continue: “What’s more, you may not have realised this, but you have been looking for me too!”
Now she was even more puzzled. At last she found her voice, but all she could manage was a stuttered: “All I’m looking for is a way out of these woods so I can get home. I’m lost and confused and tired and cold and …….”
The man interrupted her words. “Ah, I know the way out; in fact I am the way out!”
Ellie ignored that last strange claim and responded to the first statement. “Then please will you show me the way out of these woods?”
“There is a way out of these woods, but, Ellie, even if I showed you that way you would still not be content. For back home there are many parts of your life that you would love to wish away, but they do not go away.
There’s rejection, bitterness, hurt and unforgiveness, to name but a few! No, the way I will show you will not remove all the difficulties in your life, but it will bring you peace and joy and you will experience a fulfilment in your life that transcends any problems you may yet face! Here! Sit down on this log and let me look at your foot”.
Ellie hesitated – wondering if she should put myself in the hands of a total stranger. But somehow she knew that she could trust him and so, after only a short pause, Ellie obeyed and did as he said.
The man knelt down in the mud and placed his hands on the painful ankle. She watched him carefully, noticing his badly scarred hands as they gently lay on the swelling.
She felt a warmth quickly transfer itself from his hands to her aching foot and then up through her whole body – and in a few moments the pain had gone. The man looked up at her tenderly, and then asked:
“Is that better? I know it is! Is there anything else I can heal while I am at it?”
Ellie could feel waves of tears welling up inside her. She couldn’t help it – she just let the tears come; so strange! There were tears of sadness but they were mixed with a deep joy too. It was a deep joy that Ellie could not ever remember having felt before. And she cried deep groaning tears. Tears that must have come from all the past hurts, one hurt after another came flooding back to her memory as the man spoke, as he had healed her damaged bones.
The man stood up and indicated that Ellie should follow him: “Now come with me, for I have someone I want to introduce you to! I want to introduce you to my Father.”
The man must have noticed Ellie’s hesitation, for he said something that blew her mind – it was as if he could actually read it!
“I know you are angry with your father, but my Father is different. He is trustworthy, unchanging, loving. I love doing His work and many people say that I am just like him. Come and meet him! Between us we can bring more healing into your life!
Ellie found a new boldness: “That would be good, but I don’t even know your name, the name of my woodland saviour!”
The man chuckled at the accuracy of her description.
“I have lots of names, but for now why not call me Joshua?”
Ellie was stunned! She suddenly realised that her prayer had been answered. God was real – He had sent this man Joshua to save her!
And she knew she was meeting with Joshua, her Saviour. The man she had heard stories about when she was little – Jesus!
This was not just being saved from being lost in a wood – this was being saved from everything! Huge emotions washed over and through her! First she felt so unworthy, aware of her many faults, but then there was thankfulness. And all this laced with liberal doses of joy and peace that flowed through her awakened spirit.
Ellie felt as if her whole body and soul had been cleansed and was now was at peace. And she began to realise that her whole life was being turned round. Before her she glimpsed a new fulfilled life, full of challenge and excitement. She turned to him. “I know who you are!”
Then, taking her by the arm, Joshua led her gently down a path. Another path Ellie was sure hadn’t been there earlier, but now was plain to see. The path became wider and well used and, eventually, it opened out into a clearing in which there stood a large barn-like house.
The house was built of a warm creamy stone, the roof covered in red terracotta tiles. Beautiful climbers grew over the walls with cascades of orange-red flowers hanging from every branch. Even from a distance Ellie could smell the heady sweet fragrance. Through open windows she could see lights glowing inside and smoke was issuing from a large chimney, before wreathing its way out into the open sky.
The wind that had earlier tugged at her and battered her bruised body had dropped. The rain had stopped and the cold had been replaced by an almost balmy warmth in the glow of the late evening light.
********
Joshua pushed open the large front door and stood aside to let Ellie enter. She stepped in, finding herself in a large hall.
“Why not take off your shoes and make yourself at home!”
She did as he suggested. It was so strange – she felt more at home in this place than any other she had ever visited. She almost pinched herself to be convinced that this was not a dream, but reality.
Joshua called out: “Father, our visitor is here! May we join you?”
From behind a solid oak door a voice called back: ”Yes, please come on in! Come and warm yourselves by the fire as we talk”.
Joshua turned the door handle and guided Ellie into the room. Before her was a warm and comforting scene. A large log fire was burning in an inglenook fireplace.
Her nose pricked at her favourite smell; the fragrance of burning apple wood was filling the room like incense. The wooden floor was covered by a large patterned carpet that felt soft under her stockinged feet. The walls were lined with hundreds of books.
And there, in a large armchair by the fire, sat an older man. Ellie could see from his looks that he was obviously the father of the man who saved her.
“Welcome home, Ellie!”
The Father extended a hand for her to grasp. His hand was warm and strong, just like the hand of her Saviour, Joshua. He indicated that Ellie should sit in a chair close to His. He looked at her intently, making her catch her breath; Her father used to do that too, just before he was about to accuse her of failing yet again, of letting him down, of coming up short in so many different ways.
But this father was different. Ellie could see his eyes were full of compassion, not hatred, there was gentleness rather than animosity, kindness rather than spite. This was different, very different. Ellie found herself just longing to run into his arms, to be hugged, to feel his warm embrace.
He spoke gently: “You must know that we are related!”
He paused for a moment as Ellie let this surprising statement sink in. Then he continued: “It was I who made you in my image the day you were conceived in your mother’s womb. I have been waiting for you to come to me from that very moment – and now here you are! And you are so welcome My child; I am your Father!”
Ellie sat back in the chair, suddenly aware just what a mess she was – bedraggled, muddy, wet and dishevelled, her hair blown hither and thither by the wind and full of the bits of twig and moss she had gathered from her tumble in the woods. Ellie felt a mess, physically – and mentally and emotionally.
Then she discovered this Father could read her thoughts before she even voiced them: “You are welcome just as you are!”
He smiled. “Many years ago in Sunday School you spoke the words of the salvation prayer, admitting your sinfulness, professing repentance and saying that you put your trust in my Son. At that stage you did it because you were expected to. You thought maybe those magic words would help make things right with a father who did not love or want you – and you were disappointed.
But today you have met My Son properly and you have met Me too for the first time. Suddenly you are beginning to realise that the prayer you prayed so many years ago has at last been fulfilled. I do not offer you empty religion but a living relationship with Me, your Heavenly Father. That was always on offer, you just had to understand and to be ready to accept it. Now for the first time you have truly met My Son and put your trust in Him.
So now we are re-united; I am your Father and you are my heir, with full access to all the privileges and the responsibilities that this restored relationship brings”.
“There are many things you will learn and grow to understand as we enjoy this new relationship together. Nobody has perfect parents and yours were no exception. You are carrying hurts, bitterness, anger and resentment against your earthly father because of his imperfect parenting.
You must deal with these issues or they will hinder your relationship with Me. I will show you that it is possible, through repentance, to forgive your father. That will bring release and healing for you and for your relationship with your father. Your mind can be renewed.
The wrong concepts of fatherhood that have been created by your damaged relationship with your earthly father, will be changed and enriched as you come to know Me and trust Me as your loving, caring Heavenly Father.”
Joshua knelt beside her chair and looked enquiringly up at His Father. The older man nodded. Joshua held Ellie’s hands in His and started speaking. He spoke out the exact thoughts that were in her head. Thoughts that she had either ignored or suppressed. They were all laid bare for the first time in years. These were hurts that went back deep into Ellie’s childhood. And then she saw herself as a young child, emotionally abused by her father and held at arm’s length by her mother.
These were deep feelings of rejection, feelings that Ellie thought she had dealt with, that she had thought were long forgotten. But here they were again, brought to the surface. And Ellie knew that they had to be dealt with.
She looked up and saw only the kind eyes of the man who seemed to know so much. She opened her mouth to share this new revelation with Him – but He already knew her thoughts. He gently took her hand. His voice was gentle but awesomely powerful. One by one he brought up each one of her past issues, cancelling them out. There was an utter finality in all He did. Every one of those hurtful memories was erased with His beautiful words of healing.
Finally He stopped. Ellie realised that the healing that she had received had brought her to a point where she had a choice to make. She knew that it was her choice alone, she was the only one who could make it.
Sitting in a chair in the presence of her Saviour, Ellie found herself choosing to forgive her father and her mother for every one of their shortcomings as parents, and every hurt they had caused her during those miserable early years of her life. There in that room she experienced a deep healing. Slowly but surely she had been set free from the hurts of the past. And free from the unforgiveness she had held in her heart until that moment.
Now the peace she was experiencing was so deep, so healing, that she just wanted to stay in that place for ever. But deep down Ellie knew that she needed to return home – and make peace with her parents.
But before she could explain all these things her Father spoke first: “Yes, you must return home to build bridges with your father and your mother. It will not be easy but my Son has a gift for you. It says in my Word, the Bible, that you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And this same power is there for you too. The Holy Spirit is already awake within you. He is a life-giving power. He will supply you with gifts for you to use and fruit for you to become the person I made you to be.
As you go from here more of His power will descend upon you. You can use this power to explain what has happened to you; to tell them about the new spiritual Father you have found and the new family you are part of.”
Her Father paused and then took her hand. “In return you must promise to visit me often. You can call on me anywhere, at any time. This new relationship we have is not just for here or for one day a week, but is ours to share at any and every moment. I will always be here for you. I am a true and just and faithful Father, you can trust Me in everything and in every situation. But for now you need rest. Sit back in your chair and relax. My Son and I will look after you.”
Ellie did as she was told. As she fell asleep she became aware of beautiful singing around her. She tried to keep her eyes open but they refused. She dreamed that angels gathered round her singing while she slept. But maybe it wasn’t a dream!
When Ellie awoke it was morning. She felt alert and rested. There was a lightness in her heart that she had never experienced before. She looked around her. As she gazed around the room she saw the Father there waiting for her. He looked at Ellie and smiled. Then He looked over her shoulder to Joshua. Ellie realised Joshua was standing behind her, His hands resting on her shoulders.
“Now my Son, it’s time for Ellie to leave and return home. She has much work to do, bridges to mend, relationships to heal, a new vision to share, a new testimony to tell. Take her back and give her Your Holy Spirit to guide and help her.”
Joshua nodded. He helped Ellie out of the chair, led her to the front door, and then out across the clearing and back into the woods. Now the early morning sun was streaming through the trees. Joshua placed an arm on her shoulder as they gently strolled down the path. And then He was gone! Suddenly Ellie was on her own. But then she wasn’t! She could still feel the presence of Joshua’s arm around her.
And then, inexplicably, Ellie began to feel a deep warmth starting where His arm had been, and moving out into her whole body. And then she heard Joshua’s voice.
He was saying: “Receive this, my gift of the Holy Spirit. Let it fill you up; it will empower you and guide you in all things.”
Ellie looked around her to see where Joshua was, but He was nowhere to be seen. Then she realised she was back at the fork in the paths; exactly where she had paused that previous afternoon.Ellie looked around. Now there was no sign of the track she had stumbled off earlier. All she could see was the familiar parting of two paths and the trees she had known for so many years.
Yet the sound of Joshua’s words were still ringing in her head, the strange inner warmth of the promised Holy Spirit still filling her body, her mind and her spirit.
Ellie smiled. She had gained a new Father and a new vision. Now the first thing she needed to do was to find her earthly father and hug him. She set off back down the path to the car park, eager to drive home to where her father was waiting.
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All references are from the NKJV unless specified otherwise.
John Partis
bearing-kingdom-fruit.com
Text copyright © John Partis 2026
John Partis asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work
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