“Because he thought of himself as unworthy, he tried to compensate by lying, cheating, and pretending to be something he wasn’t. At times, he fought with the Devil, but he lost again and again for many years.

“He lost because he didn’t fight his desires. He did not pursue Godly wishes. He made gods of the earth. And since no man can serve two gods, Danny had to choose.

“Danny stopped trusting God. Without trust, there is no faith. If we trust God, and allow the seeds to be planted, our faith grows …

“Satan tempts us with our own imperfections. He lures us through our wounds, our shame, and our self-doubts. He has no power on his own but uses those imperfections—our human frailties—against us.

“Danny forgot that he had the love and support of his Creator and the people in his life. Then he began to let the Devil seep into the caverns of his mind. Over that time Satan established a foothold in Danny’s mind and once that darkness came over him, all his hope was gone.

“We do have free will. Yes, we do make mistakes. Yes, we all experience darkness. But yet, we are given faith. We’re given hope. God is the heartbeat of mankind.”

With that, Joanna went silent. Mitch and Carolyn looked at each other, but had no idea what to do next. Eventually Carolyn summoned the courage to speak up.

“Joanna, are you okay?”

She nodded her head, and indicated she was, but kept her eyes closed. “Would you like me to continue?” she asked. “Do you want me to tell you what really happened that night?”

“Joanna, if you know,” Mitch said, “then tell us, so we can at least try to understand.”

She opened her eyes and looked at them for the first time in several minutes. “Are you sure?”

They were shocked by her question, and neither Mitch nor Carolyn knew what to say, so they sat mute.

She was clearly in great pain. “I’m sorry. This is bringing it all back. And each time I go through something like this, it steals a part of me. I want to help you to understand, so you can begin to heal, but you must promise me that you will trust that what I’m going to tell you is the truth, even though in the natural it will not make sense. You must promise to use what I’m going to tell you to spread the message of hope and forgiveness despite the fact you will be scorned and ridiculed.”

Mitch and Carolyn agreed despite the fact they didn’t truly understand what they were agreeing to. Mitch prodded her slightly.

“Joanna, if you’re ready to continue …”