We are All Repeat Callers
There’s a question we hear a lot at Rescue America:
Why do they keep calling? Why do survivors go back to the life again and again?
It’s a fair question.
But maybe the better one is:
Why do we?
During a recent morning prayer time with our team, we started reflecting on the courage it takes for survivors to call the Rescue Hotline again. And again. And again.
They want freedom. They want a new life. But sometimes, they don’t yet know how to take hold of it fully. Sometimes fear wins. Or manipulation. Or exhaustion. So they call… and they try… and sometimes, they go back.
That day, one of our Exit Strategists shared a truth that has stayed with us:
“We’re all repeat callers to the Lord.”
How many times have we found ourselves back at the feet of Jesus, whispering the same confession or asking for help with the same struggle?
How often do we repeat the same prayer, hoping this time we’ll change, this time we’ll grow, this time we’ll get it right?
And yet, we are met with grace. Every single time.
In Luke 7:47, Jesus says,
“Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
The deeper our awareness of what we’ve been forgiven, the deeper our compassion grows. It opens our hearts to love more freely and forgive more generously.
We need this reminder—especially when we find ourselves wondering why someone is calling for the tenth time. Or the twentieth.
Because the truth is: we’re all calling back.
The struggle may look different. It may not be trafficking. It may be pride, comparison, control, anxiety, addiction, or unbelief. But it’s still a tether, something that keeps pulling us back.
And God’s response?
Come to Me. Again.
He doesn’t shame us for calling too many times.
He welcomes us. Reassures us. Renews us.
As one team member said, “There was a softening in me toward the survivor when I realized—I’m not so different. I go back too.”
Another team member said, “No one needs Jesus more than anyone else, we are all equally lost without Him”
When we really let that truth settle in our hearts, our posture shifts. We become slower to judge. Quicker to listen. More ready to pray.
And maybe, a little more like Jesus.
So today, if you’re weary of your own repeated cries for help—don’t stop calling.
And if you’re tempted to lose patience with someone else’s repeated cry—don’t stop extending grace.
Freedom takes time. Healing takes time.
But the God who sees us in our cycles, our stumbling, and our sanctification?
He’s in it for the long haul.
And so are we.
Reflection Questions:
What’s something you find yourself asking God for help with again and again?
How does knowing you’re a “repeat caller” shape your empathy toward others who are still in process?
If you or someone you know have been sexually exploited and want out of the life, please call Rescue America’s 24/7 Rescue hotline number at 833.599.FREE.
To report a trafficking tip, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888.373.7888.
Save these numbers on your phone for later reference!
