Do We Really Have Free Will? The Mystery, the Mission, and the Memory.

What is free will?It’s the question that lingers late at night, the one that’s whispered in churches and shouted at the sky. Most of us are taught that free will means we get to choose our lives, that nothing is set in stone and every moment is ours to shape. I grew up believing that, because that’s what I heard in church and what the world always said. God gave us free will, the sacred power to make our own choices and walk our own paths. It sounds simple, but as life unfolds, it rarely stays that simple.

A radiant golden soul blueprint unrolls across a cosmic sky, illuminated by stardust and celestial symbols. Ethereal hands of light gently hold the map, reminding us our paths were designed in spirit before we ever took our first breath. Mystical, dreamy, and full of possibility.

Over time, that answer started to unravel for me. As I lived, I started to see the threads connecting one moment to the next, the odd coincidences that show up right when you need them, the way heartbreak and healing seem to find you at the exact moment your soul needs to grow. There were scenes in my life that felt orchestrated, like the universe had prepared them for me long before I arrived. I started to wonder if maybe there was something bigger at play, a divine plan we can’t always see with our human eyes.

Not long ago, I experienced a pull inside me, a physical and spiritual nudge that felt like someone was tapping on my shoulder from the other side. I was guided to a distant city, one I had no logical reason to visit at that moment. I couldn’t explain it, even to myself. All I knew was that every cell in my body said go. Later, I found out that another soul, someone whose spirit was intertwined with mine long before this lifetime, felt the same call to that city at the very same time. We both showed up, coming from different places, but somehow it felt like the universe had circled that date on the calendar long before either of us took a single step.

Under a moonlit sky, a luminous figure stands at the heart of an enchanted forest where glowing paths diverge into the unknown. Surrounded by shimmering orbs and heart-shaped tree arches, the scene captures the magic of choice and the courage to follow the soul’s true calling.

That moment changed everything. When I arrived, I didn’t just meet a person, I recognized a soul. The air itself felt charged, as if the universe was holding its breath. I suddenly understood what a soul contract looks like when it moves from the unseen to the seen. We accepted that contract in spirit form, long before either of us ever arrived here. What we’re doing now, in this life, is honoring that agreement, showing up for the chapter our souls wrote together, living it out on Earth, moment by moment, choice by choice.

Growing up in church, free will was as real as gravity. Every message was about choosing the right path and trusting that God gave us the power to create our own fate. For a long time, I held on to that because it gave me a sense of control and hope. But life eventually showed me the cracks in that version of the story. I saw how much was already set in motion before I could even speak where I was born, the people I met, the heartbreaks and miracles that arrived right on schedule. I started to wonder if free will might be something deeper than just choosing coffee or tea in the morning.

Two luminous beings of light reach toward a radiant golden scroll inscribed with ancient symbols, floating between them in a star-filled cosmic realm. This scene embodies the mystery of soul contracts and the magic of honoring sacred agreements made in spirit.

Everything shifted for me at thirty-three (33). That’s the Christ year, the same age Jesus began his mission, and for me it wasn’t just symbolic. It was the year my world cracked open and the light poured in. One day I was living my life in a kind of spiritual amnesia, and the next I felt like I’d been handed a box of memories I didn’t know I had lost. Suddenly, I remembered who I was and why I was here. I remembered past lives, old promises, and the sacred map I drew before this life began. I realized I had chosen this journey before I ever took my first breath. I remembered the soul contracts, the blueprint of possibilities, and the deeper reasons for my greatest joys and pains.

That’s what Christ consciousness is to me. It’s not about religion or dogma, it’s about remembering that we are both human and divine, and that love is the true mission. When I look at life this way, every moment feels sacred, every encounter feels purposeful, and every challenge becomes a lesson my soul signed up for.

A mystical portrait of a woman seated beneath a starlit lavender sky, opening a glowing book as swirling golden script rises into the cosmos. Surrounded by crystals, candles, and wildflowers, she embodies the awakening of soul memory and the magic of remembering your spiritual script.

So, do I believe in free will? Yes, but not in the way most people do. I believe that free will happens at the soul level, before we ever arrive here. In that sacred place, we choose our parents, our gifts, our wounds, our soulmates, and the moments that will shape us. We draw a map filled with possible timelines, encounters, and lessons. Then we come to Earth and forget, and every decision feels like a mystery. We experience the beauty and the fear of not knowing, but deep down, every path we choose was already one our soul placed before us.

Every time I’ve followed an unexplainable nudge, I’ve realized later that I was stepping into the story my soul wrote for me. None of it was random. Every plot twist, every unexpected meeting, every detour was a door my soul wanted me to walk through. Even the paths I thought I missed are alive in another part of the quantum field.

The next time you feel a pull you can’t explain, or you’re asked to step into the unknown, remember this: you are not lost. You are being guided back to the story your soul wrote with more love, courage, and freedom than you can imagine. Free will is a gift, but it is one we use before we’re born. On Earth, we discover just how beautifully we planned it.

If you want to go deeper, try journaling about a time you felt guided to do something unexpected. What do you think your soul was calling you toward?

A radiant crystal pendulum suspended above a glowing circle of golden light. Angel wings and sparkling pathways radiate outward, surrounded by celestial crystals and a star-filled sky. This image captures the magic of divine choice and soul guidance at every crossroad. Divine Choice.

With love,

Marlene Ivette ✨