She had just hit the nail on the head. “You might be right,” he said softly. “But I’m tapped out, Layla. I just don’t have it in me right now to have some big come-to-Jesus moment. I just don’t.”

“It doesn’t have to be like that. Hunter, you came to Jesus years ago. You told me about it, remember? We shared those stories together. Once you make that commitment, He’s all in forever.”

He checked his side mirrors, and everything was still clear. “You’re on a roll tonight, preacher.”

“I’m being serious. Don’t believe the lies you hear in your head. You are not too far gone.” She sighed. “I talked to you about the rough time I had after we broke up, but I also had a really rocky road after I split up with Nick.”

“Questioning your faith?” He had a hard time believing that, given what he knew about her.

“I’d say it was more anger than questioning. I didn’t like the person I’d allowed myself to become with Nick, and for a while I blamed God, thinking I could shift the blame from my own personal decisions and actions to Him. I went into a bit of a tailspin. But after I stopped feeling sorry for myself, I realized that yes, I had made mistakes, but God understood I was flawed. I didn’t have to wallow forever. I could pick myself up and move on, knowing that God’s love was enough. Definitely more important than the love and affection of any man.”

“Nick really did a number on you, huh?”

She shook her head. “No, it’s not fair to lay blame on him. I just allowed myself to be seduced by his power and influence. That isn’t the type of person I am at my core, but at that point in my life, I wasn’t seeing clearly. Nick was just being Nick. He treated me well, and I believe he did care for me a lot. Probably even loved me. But it wasn’t a healthy relationship. Our values didn’t line up, and instead of being strong, I allowed myself to be manipulated and fell into what he wanted instead of sticking to my guns.” She sighed again. “But I learned a lot of important lessons, including what it’s like to fall really far and be able to get up again. It wasn’t on my own strength, though. I thought I could make it on my own, but all of that showed me how much I need the Lord in my life.”

“You’re stronger than you think.”

“Maybe, but it’s also dangerous to think that we’re invincible. That we are in control of everything in our lives.”

“I rarely feel in control of anything.” He swallowed. That was an unexpected admission.