This is Part 2 of the short story “The Well-watered Garden”. In Part 1 we discovered Henry Jones and his wife Claire had recently been reunited as man and wife after separately and miraculously encountering the risen Jesus Christ. They have discovered a living dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ and recommitted themselves to each other.
Henry, though, is feeling discontented with himself, with his lack of understanding about his future, about God’s plans for him and his fractured relationship with his father. Yes, he is now a Christian, a disciple of Jesus Christ – but something seemed to be pulling him back, preventing him from experiencing the joy and certainty that other Christians felt.
On a family outing, the first one after months of being separated, their two young sons, Jamie and Ben, unintentionally soak their parents. But then the family meet new friends. Even more importantly, Henry has a revelation that changes his whole perspective on his life. He has a vision to share…..
The Well-watered Garden
Part 2
Henry shares his vision
Henry looked at the others, and could see they all wanted to hear more. So he shared the vision he had had, just a few moments ago.
“It was a beautiful summer’s day and the garden was filled with men and women. All the men were in service uniform and the women were obviously nurses. I stood at the entrance to the garden and looked, wondering what I should do. It was then that I realised I had a companion, an old man dressed in clothes from Bible times, at least they looked like the pictures of Bible characters I remembered from childhood. The man looked at me and said “I am Isaiah and God has sent me to tell you something – and to show you someone! So first the message. It is this – Your heavenly Father says this to you “My hand will be forever on your life – for you will be my well-watered garden. And we will share a future together, with you restored to both your fathers – to Me – and to your earthly father too!”
I shook my head,. “No that’s not possible – God cannot love me that much and I do not deserve to be loved by Him – I cannot love Him back. I never had a father to love – or who loved me!
But Isaiah nodded and said: “Come with me, for I have more to show you”. And he set off along the main path of the Walled Garden, beckoning me to follow. We walked slowly past garden seats. They were occupied by men, some of whom were badly wounded, some badly disfigured with burns, and the nurses were chatting with them and encouraging them. Many of them were traumatised. Then Isaiah stopped and indicated a man sitting on his own, his head in his hands, weeping. My heart nearly stopped, for he looked up, but obviously could not see me. But I knew who it was – it was my father! I was shocked to see him, even more shocked to see how troubled he was, fear in his eyes and his whole body hunched in shock. I looked at my companion.
Sir Galahad
He said two words. “Sir Galahad”. It was as if I had been punched in the stomach, for suddenly everything about my childhood became clear. You see I was born in January 1983, one of those babies conceived just before the outbreak of the Falklands War in April 1982. Conceived just before my father, a Naval officer, joined the conflict in the South Atlantic. I knew he had been wounded there and flown back to the UK, but he never shared any of his experience, not then or ever – and nor did my mother. It was never mentioned, ever. But those two words uttered by Isaiah, brought everything into sharp focus. He must have been on, or at least witnessed the bombing of, the Sir Galahad. He must have seen the troopship on fire, the men in flames leaping into the sea. Heard the cries of pain. And witnessed the lives lost and the lives forever changed and, yes, it must have forever changed his life too. He was not physically hurt, but his mind must have been torn apart by the images he saw, the images he relived and lived with for the rest of his life. I guess now we recognise it as PTSD.
And there in that dream, in that garden, I saw it all. I saw how he was unable to be the father he needed, he wanted to be. And it wasn’t his fault. And then Isaiah was gone, the walled garden disappeared and I woke up! Wow!””
Henry’s eyes were filling with tears again. But he continued: “And now I need to go to my dad and ask for his forgiveness. And then I can walk the path of fruitfulness God has purposed for me. That Scripture that changed everything for you Steve, has now spoken directly into my life!”
Steve explains
Steve crossed to where Henry was sitting and placed his hands on his shoulder. “Henry, do you know where that garden you saw in the dream was, .. is?” Henry shook his head.
Steve continued: “I think you’ll find that it’s right here! You see this is the house that was used to rehabilitate the men injured, particularly those with their emotions damaged, in the Falklands War, and the other side of this wall is that very garden. And in the house is a small museum where you will no doubt find a copy of your father’s records and on the wall of the library you will also find his name engraved in gold leaf, remembered as one of the Falkland Heroes. That’s what the patients here were called by the staff – and by the local people who volunteered to help.”
Henry was wide-eyed. He looked across at Claire and then at Kate and Steve. “I never knew. No one ever told me – and to my shame I never tried to find out, less still to understand! Oh, how I wish I had known this before, had been able to understand when I was a boy what I suddenly understand now!”
Henry looked up at Steve, still standing beside him, still with a consoling hand on his shoulder. Steve’s words were as reassuring as his hand: “Henry, you may feel you have wronged your father, misunderstood him – but it isn’t too late. I take it he is still alive?”
Henry makes a decision
Henry nodded. “Yes, he lives on his own in a small cottage in Falmouth on the coast in Cornwall. He was a seafaring man, just like his father, living for his Navy – until his premature retirement after the Falklands. And he still loves the sea – but I haven’t seen him since I left boarding school when I was 17, almost 15 years ago now. But now I must go and see him.”
He paused, thoughtful. Then: “And I need to be the father he was unable to be, to honour his name. And I need to be the son he never had because I did not understand him or his inability to have that relationship. I need to go to him and to say sorry, to ask for his forgiveness and to be the son he never had. I just hope it is not too late.”
Henry rose to his feet. “Look Steve. I am just about dried out and I think Claire is too. Can we see the garden? What do you think Claire?”
His wife nodded. “Well, it’s getting late and I need to be back at the Lodge in an hours time, but let’s see how it goes – we should have half an hour before we need to head home.” She turned to Kate: “Will our boys be OK?”
Steve interjected: “The boys will be fine with Millie and Noah to look after them. So, let’s start with the garden and see how the time goes. Follow me!”
And he leapt up the steps and, opening the door, ushered them out into the late afternoon sun. Steve grabbed Henry and led him to the wooden door that was the main entrance to the garden. Kate and Claire followed on behind, Kate busy reassuring Claire that the children would be fine for a little bit longer.
Steve flung open the door and stood aside for Henry to enter. Henry gasped. The garden that spread out before him was the exact image of the garden in his dream!
The same garden!
“It’s the same one! Exactly, even to the benches that line the path. I almost expect to see men in uniform, nurses – and my father too. I wonder if he has ever been back here, whether he could face the memories. I wonder?”
Henry walked down the path until he reached the spot where he had seen his father. He stopped by the seat and then sat down on it,. Tears started to fall down his cheeks. Claire went and sat by him, putting her arms around him. He looked across at her. “ It’s OK Claire, these tears are tears of joy. You see I now know I can go and be reunited with my dad and be the son he needs me to be – and become the well-watered garden of God’s promise. And I have received the healing I need to be the son and the father God purposed me to be too!”
At that moment there was a clattering of footsteps as Noah burst through the gate and into the garden. He was wet from head to toe.
“Mum, Dad, come quickly! Everyone’s in the lake!” And before they could move Noah turned on his tail and rushed off.
The lake gives up its treasure
Both sets of parents jumped up and, led by Dave, headed out of the Walled Garden across the lawn and into the small wood that contained the lake. Even before they got there they could hear the excited shouts of the children. They got to the lake to find all four children were now in the water, fully clothed. Floating a little way off was a now empty punt.
“What on earth is going on here’’ demanded Dave in his Head Gardener/Cross Father voice. And he looked sternly from Noah to Millie, obviously holding them to blame.
“We were punting very gently” Millie replied, standing in the water a few yards from the bank, “and Jamie was trying to catch a small fish in his net …”
Jamie, also standing up to his waist in water, took two hands to lift the net out of the water. It now contained not a fish but a large piece of wood. “And this is what I found instead. But it was heavy and the punt tipped as I tried to lift it and we capsized…..”
“And we all fell in the water…. But we didn’t lose the treasure!”
“OK all of you. Come on out of the water, you’ve frightened the fish enough for one day!’
The three children waded out, dripping wet and joined Noah by the side of the lake. There was a mixture of sorrow and triumph on their faces.
Claire was the first to speak. “Jamie! Ben! We should be leaving now and look at the state of you! I need to be back at The Lodge to sort out the evening’s entertainment in half an hour – but you can’t come back now so wet and bedraggled!”
Kate looked across at her husband. “Dave, why don’t Henry and Claire get back to the Lodge. We can dry the kids off, find them some clean clothes and give them some tea. And then we can bring them back home later in the evening.” Dave nodded. “ Yes, that’s a good plan. It’s the least we can do after our two led your boys so astray!”
“Are you sure?”said Claire and Henry in unison. Henry continued “It would solve our dilemma – and we can show you our place at the other end of the loch!”
So the plan was agreed. Henry and Claire headed off quickly to find their car and get home, while the four children followed the two grownups back to the house. Dave had taken possession of the sodden wood that was Jamie’s treasure. A quick look at it had told him what it was. It was indeed treasure!
Back at the house Kate sent the children off to shower while she found some old clothes of Millie’s to fit the boys. “It’s a blessing Millie wasn’t into pink! Nobody would call these t-shirts and shorts girlish” she said to herself.
The boys accepted the clean dry clothes without a murmur. Kate smiled and whispered to Millie to say nothing. The secret stayed a secret. At least for now.
Later that evening
And so a few hours later Dave and Kate drove the children up the length of the loch before turning off the lochside road into the Lodge car park. Safely parked, the twins took over to proudly show the way across to the Reception Centre where Claire and Henry stood waiting for them.
“Thank you so much for all you have done for us today,” said Claire. Henry chimed in: “It has been a life-changing experience for me. I am so grateful.”
“And theres more yet!” said Dave. “This is what your son rescued from the lake. Goodness knows how it got there, but Henry this is for you.”
And he unwrapped the cloth he had been carrying, to hand Henry a wooden plaque in the shape of a shield. Henry held it out before him. It was indeed a shield. Despite the passage of time and water-staining, clearly visible on its face was a coat of arms and the name “Sir Galahad”. Henry’s eyes filled with tears. “That’s so special – but its not mine, it belongs in your little museum surely!”
Dave smiled. “Look on the back, Henry and read what it says.” Henry turned the shield over to see another smaller engraved plate. He slowly read the words out loud: ”Presented to Lieutenant Richard Jones of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary to honour his work alongside the staff of Fairhaven House, comforting and encouraging so many despite his own problems. 8 June, 1983.” That’s my dad!.” And once more his eyes filled with tears.
“Now I will need to go and visit him. I need to give him his shield! I don’t know if he lost it in the lake or even threw it there. Maybe he will tell me!”
*******
All References
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
