At the end of Part 1 posted last Monday Evie had realised she wanted the relationship with Jesus that her Youth Group leader Becca had told her about. But she was having difficulty understanding why an awesome God could love someone as bad as she was. The story continues as Becca explains……
Evie has a new Father
Part 2
“Well,” Becca replied. “First of all Evie, I have prayed for you. That’s why I know he will be your Father too! God answers my prayers. So watch this space! All you need to do is put your trust in Him. Go for it, Evie!”
She paused just for a moment but then continued: “And when Jesus died on that Cross he didn’t just do it for good people, He died for each and every one of us, He paid for our sins and to also restored us to an eternity in His Father’s presence, surrounded by His lovingkindness, his mercy and His grace.”
She glanced at her phone. “Goodness, is that the time! I was due to meet Charlie ten minutes ago. I must be off! But we should meet up again tomorrow. We need to speak some more about this, so think up any questions you have and we’ll discuss them ASAP. “
Then she added: “Anyway, I’ll see you at the Group later tonight.”
And she got up and left like a whirlwind, leaving me thoughtful and excited and emotionally drained. All at the same time. But as she disappeared she flung these words over her shoulder: “Go for it!” were her last words. Well I will!
I looked at my face reflected in my phone. Tearful or what! Good job I hadn’t put on any mascara. And my hair was a real mess. I tried to comb it straighter with my fingers. Then I quickly walked out through the supermarket hoping not to meet anyone I knew. At least Mr Philpott and his son were long gone!
I walked home, my mind a whirl. Could what Becca had told me be true? Even with my darkest secrets exposed was there still hope?Could I really trust this God of Becca’s? I let myself in and managed to stagger across the sitting room before collapsing on the sofa. I looked at my phone through tearful eyes to see there was still an hour or so before the Youth Group started. I wanted to go – it was going to be the last one before the Summer break.
The sofa was as far as I got. My mind was racing. If these words were true for Becca then maybe they could be true for me. So I did something I had never ever done before. I prayed.
“God, if you are there and you really love me as Becca says, then please, please show yourself to me. Cos I need you right now. I need to understand your love. I need to feel your love. You see I haven’t a clue what real love is all about. Please help me, God!”
And I burst out crying. Again. I guess the emotions of earlier that evening had just come back. The tears poured out, wetting the cushion I had buried my face into. And then I felt such a pain. It was the pain of all the wrong things I had ever done. And I knew that they were holding me back. Holding me back from being the person I was made to be. And I wanted so much to be rid of them.
I don’t think I feel asleep. What happened next wasn’t really a dream. It seemed much more real than that. I guess it was one of those visions I had heard about at Youth Alpha. It was as if I had been transported out of my house and into a beautiful country I had never seen before. I found myself alone at the bottom of a steep hill. There was a rough stony path going towards the top. At the very top of the hill I could just make out a wooden cross. Empty.
I knew deep within me that I needed to be there, at the top. I started walking up the rough path. It was hard work. I looked down and saw that in my hands were plastic bags full of stuff – everything I had ever shoplifted was there in those heavy bags. I thought about putting them down, but somehow I knew they needed to be taken to the top.
The bags were heavy and the handles bit into my hands as I struggled up the hill with them. I had only managed a short way up the hill when I realised I could hear someone singing. There, by the side of the path sat a figure all in white. Even I knew that was an angel.
As I got close, he stood up and took one of the heavy bags from me. Then he followed me up the mountain. The two of us carried on up the steep slope until the same thing happened again. I was joined by another angel. He took another bag from me and joined the other one.
This happened four more times until, well close to the Cross, I had lost all my bags. I watched the angels put them all at the foot of the Cross. And then even as I looked, the bags and the angels disappeared. And I somehow knew that the Cross of Jesus had swept away the contents of those bags and the sinfulness that went with them. Sorted, dealt with! Gone forever. I just knew it! Awesome!
In that vision, standing by the empty Cross, I felt emptied of guilt. Somehow I had been set free to start again. No more guilt or shame. I felt light and free. But not only from the shame of shoplifting. I was free from the shame of a dad in prison. I was free from the shame of speaking badly about people around me. I was there at the foot of the Cross, alone. I looked around me. Yes, I was alone. I decided to sit at the foot of the Cross.
Then I saw something strange. As I looked back down the track I saw there were other people coming up the hill. They were all carrying heavy burdens, just like mine. And one of them looked like Mr Philpott. One looked just like my Dad.
But then before I could take this in, something even more amazing happened. I wasn’t alone! Beyond the Cross I saw a figure. And I knew it was Jesus! He was beckoning me. Beckoning me to go on past the Cross, into a new place. I started walking. And then I was with Him. And He was telling me that He loved me and His Father, my Father, loved me too and would never leave me. He told me I would never feel alone again. It was as if a great weight had fallen off me. And I wanted to walk with Him forever. But what next? What should I do, what did I need to do? What would it mean to be a follower of Jesus?
I thought I heard a noise. I opened my eyes to find Becca standing over me.
“Hi Evie! I came to give you a lift to Youth Group, but I found your front door open so I just walked in. What’s been going on?”
I looked across at Becca through tearful eyes. She almost seemed to know something had happened. She sat down on the sofa next to me and grabbed my hand.
“God’s been showing you things, hasn’t he?” I nodded and noticed she now had tears in her eyes too! So I told her what had just happened and described the supernatural video that had just played before my eyes.
As soon as I had finished Becca reached out. She held me at arm’s length and looked me straight in the eyes.
“Do you remember what you heard at Youth Alpha? That Jesus died on the Cross for your sins. And by saying “yes” to that truth you will be restored to your heavenly Father as His daughter. The Bible tells us that all we need to do is repent. Turn away from our sins, leave the old ways behind. And decide to walk with God.”
I nodded, tears streaming down my face. At Alpha it hadn’t made sense, but now it did. And I knew what I had to do. I pulled myself together and in a trembling voice said sorry to God. Out loud. Becca grabbed my hand again. And then I asked Jesus to come into my life. And I said I wanted God to be my Dad. And that I wanted to be His daughter, loving Him, and knowing He loved me.
And then for the second time that day I felt this intense warmth flow through me. But even more than before. I just sat on the sofa blubbing. But I also realised that I was loved and was accepted. By the One who was my creator, my spiritual Father. And I had what I can only describe as a deep feeling of peace and joy.
After a while I stopped crying and looked up at Becca. She smiled as she slowly nodded: “Evie, I think you have got what you wanted! Giving your life to Jesus changes everything. It fires up your spirit. And it means you are in a relationship with the Son of God. With Jesus. And you have the power of God’s Holy Spirit working in you. And, you will find that God is the loving heavenly Father that you have been crying out for but only now have found. And you will find that He not only restores the relationship torn apart by your sin, but that this new relationship you have with Him is way and beyond anything you or I or anyone else has ever experienced between the two sinful humans that are father and daughter.”
Becca continued, “It’s a new relationship, based on love and acceptance, on trust and obedience; and it you will discover a freedom to be yourself, understand that you are made in the image of the God who formed you and are set free to pursue the purposes He placed inside you at the very beginning of your life. He made you in His image to love Him and, yes, to serve Him too.”
I sank into her arms again, feeling her hugging me tight. It felt as if my new Father was hugging me too!
“Gosh!” Becca suddenly cried. “I came here to offer you a lift to Youth Group! Now I’m late – but Charlie, hopefully will have started without me! Evie, are you up to coming tonight?”
I nodded vigorously! “I want to be where Jesus is! Yes I’m coming!”
Becca smiled.”Well, Jesus is now with you always, anywhere – but I know what you mean! Let’s go!”
And she grabbed her tote bag and marched out of the room and out of the house, leaving me to grab my bag and a coat and rush after her.
She drove down the road faster than she probably should have done. Just before we turned the corner a car drove past in the other direction. At first I thought I recognised the driver – but then I was sure I was mistaken. Anyway Becca was driving as if she was late – which she was, and it was all my fault. In a couple of minutes we were shooting into the church car park. I almost needed to run to keep up with her as we crossed the tarmac and into the side entrance that led to the small hall. The Youth Group was already in full swing, with a live band playing loud Christian worship songs and a group of about 30 or 40 young people waving their arms and singing their hearts out. The usual Friday evening at Youth Group.
After a while, Becca, who had disappeared down to the front at first to report to Charlie, came and stood alongside me still lurking at the back and, shouting over the music, asked: “Will you share what has happened to you today when we finish the worship? It would be a great testimony for others to hear!” I nodded, wondering how I might manage to be coherent after all the excitement of the day – but wanting to tell the world what Jesus had done for me and all about my loving heavenly Father.
A few minutes later Becca took the microphone and I heard her announce my name, tell everyone I had something exciting and life-changing to share – and then she beckoned me forward. And so I found myself pushing through the rest of the group who were all busy finding space on the floor to sit and listen. Becca handed me the microphone and I set out to tell my story.
It was quiet as I started but there was an audible gasp as I got to the part where Becca said that word “shoplifting”. I had decided to leave nothing out so the whole sorry story poured out. It was very quiet in the hall!
It was when I got to the beginning of my vision of the bags and the hill that there was a slight commotion at the back of the hall. I looked up – my voice dried up as I realised my Dad had just walked into the back of the hall and was now standing there listening to my story.
Somehow I carried on, explaining the picture God had given me as it unfolded. Then I got to the bit where I looked back down the hill and saw Mr Philpott and my Dad struggling up the hill below me. I looked at my Dad just then – he seemed to be wiping his eyes with his hanky! I was somewhat taken aback, but managed to refocus and to complete the rest of the story, finishing with Becca’s visit to me less than an hour ago and that moment I gave my life to Jesus.
I finished and there was lots of applause and then a whole string of people wanting to congratulate me and thank me. I couldn’t remember the last time I seemed so popular. Eventually I made my way to the back – only to find my Dad had gone, he had left more quietly than he had arrived. I turned away, feeling both cross and relieved that he wasn’t there. Then there was a tap on my shoulder. “Hi, I’m Ben – that was my Dad – that Mr Philpott you talked about in your vision!” And I recognised this boy was just that – the toffee nosed one who went to a private school!
Before I could say any more he grasped my hand and said: “I just want to thank you. What you have said so beautifully has convinced me I need to give my life to Jesus too! Will you and Becca help me?”
I found myself squeezing his hand. “Yes of course I will! Let’s find Becca!”
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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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