A Purposd Original

3 Way Call

Sin spoke first. But God had the last word.

By Chestney Hibbler · 11-minute read · Published August 2026

A Purposd Original

“The old life doesn’t always come back with a threat. Sometimes it comes back with a memory.”

“This reflection is for the one who picked up the call, heard the familiar voice — and then heard something else entirely.”

The phone rang and I was asked, “Hey… do you remember me?”

From somewhere buried deep inside, “Don’t act like you didn’t always enjoy the rides.

The neon nights. The bottles raised high. The borrowed wings That helped you touch the sky.

The parties. The laughter. The freedom you could feel. Don’t tell me now That none of it was real.”

I smiled and said, “Yeah, I remember you. How could I forget?”

But let’s not rewrite the story Or leave out the regret.

Yeah, I remember the neon lights. The crowded rooms. The endless nights. The mornings where I’d wake up sick, Trying to piece together What I did and what I missed.

I remember losing pieces of myself One compromise at a time. Calling it freedom While I slowly lost my mind.

Yeah, I remember touching the sky. At least that’s what it seemed. But every high you sold me Came with a hidden fee.

Nobody talks about the crash. The silence after the sound. How the same thing that lifts you up Drives you back down.

Nobody talks about the darkness Waiting on the other side. The thoughts that whisper, “Give up.” The hurt you try to hide.

The anger. The shame. The guilt. The blame. The fake smile on my face While my soul sat wrapped in chains.

I remember floating for a moment, Then falling twice as far. Chasing counterfeit healing For very real scars.

My soul aching like broken bones. My heart growing cold as stone. Surrounded by people, Yet feeling all alone.

So yeah, Sin… I remember your voice. I remember your lies. I remember the promises You wrapped in disguise.

I remember the thrill. I remember the cost. I remember how much of myself That almost got lost.

So if we’re really gonna do this, If we’re really gonna talk, Then tell the whole story — Not the counterfeit fun disguised like a peaceful walk.

Sin laughed and said, “But look at you now. Still carrying scars. Still fighting battles. Still reaching for stars.

You call yourself free? Then why do you stumble? Why does temptation still make you crumble?

If God is so faithful, If God is so true, Then why is the old life Still calling to you?”

For a moment I paused. Because some of it stung. The scars were still there. The war wasn’t won.

The memories lingered. The triggers remained. Some days felt peaceful. Some days felt strained.

Then another voice spoke. Not harsh. Not loud. Like a Father standing close In the middle of the crowd.

“You’re counting the valleys. I’m counting the climb. You’re focused on yesterday. I’m redeeming your time.

You’re staring at brokenness. I’m building belief. You’re measuring progress. I’m planting the seeds.

You remember the chains. I remember the keys. You remember the storm. I remember the seas.

You remember your failures. The nights you fell apart. I remember the moment I first called your heart.

You see all the wounds. I see what remains. A man still standing After walking through flames.

You see the addict. The broken. The ashamed. I see My child, Still called by name.

You see your past. I see redeemed. You see the ashes. I still see the dream.”

“You remember the chains. I remember the keys.
You remember the storm. I remember the seas.”

Sin grew quiet. Its arguments grew thin. Because darkness loses power When truth walks in.

Then God spoke again, “Listen carefully. The battle is real, But it doesn’t belong to thee.

You’re not who you were. You’re not what you’ve done. The war may continue, But the victory’s won.

So walk when it’s easy. Walk when it’s hard. Walk through the valley. Walk through the dark.

Walk when you’re weary. Walk when you’re weak. Walk by My promise, Not what you see.

Because grace isn’t given To those who pretend. It’s given to those Who keep coming again.

And again. And again. Though they stumble and bend. For the one who keeps coming Will stand in the end.”

Then silence fell. Sin had nothing to say. Its voice once thundered. Now it faded away.

Not because temptation vanished. Not because life became easy. Not because every wound healed instantly. Or every burden grew light.

But because I finally learned The difference between freedom and flight.

Freedom wasn’t perfection. Freedom wasn’t pretending. Freedom was choosing God And letting Him keep mending.

So now when Sin calls And says, “Do you remember me?”

I smile and answer, “Yes. But you’re only a chapter. You’re not the full story. And you’re definitely not Who God created me to be.”

— Purposd

“You’re only a chapter. You’re not the full story.
And you’re definitely not who God created me to be.”

The Truth Beneath the Reflection

“Temptation rarely returns as an enemy. It returns as a memory — familiar, warm, and strategically missing every consequence that came after.”

“The scars from the old life are real. So is the grace that met you in the middle of it. Both are part of your story. Neither cancels the other.”

“Freedom is not the absence of the call. It’s what you say when you answer it.”

Biblical Truth

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

— Galatians 5:1 NIV

Sit With This

1. What does the old life call you with — a memory, a feeling, a moment? What does it leave out?
2. When you hear God’s voice in the middle of the pull, what does He usually say?
3. What would it mean for you to answer the next call with “you’re only a chapter”?

This space is for your private reflection. Your response will not be submitted or saved.

A Prayer for the Journey

God,

The old life still calls sometimes. And I won’t pretend it never sounds familiar. But today I’m choosing to hear Your voice over the noise.

Remind me what the crash felt like — so I’m not seduced by the highlight. Remind me what You said when You first called my name. And remind me that grace isn’t for the people who don’t struggle. It’s for the ones who keep choosing You in the middle of it.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Carry the Reflection With You

Read Order in the Court Request Prayer Start Coaching

Continue Reading The Identified Stranger reflection

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