noodles? don't noodles? Quit? Don't quit?

Giving up is such an easy concept. To give up means to lose hope, to stop striving for a goal because it may become too much. In my instance, I don't really have a goal. I have a friend, who I have grown to care a lot about in the past few weeks. He's a non-believer and we have had nothing but great conversations about our differences in beliefs. He was born into the catholic church, when he went to college he wrote a paper and everything changed. He began to question pretty much everything and suddenly he went from believer to agnostic which quickly turned into athiesm. I have never really spoken to an athiest, because I've never really put myself out there enough to have a chance. The idea of controlling a situation comes to mind here. I should know that I can't control his mind and the way he thinks, I should know that God is using me for big reasons...but even greater it's not my job to fix people just to "plant seeds" so to speak. I recently began having doubts that I could even have these conversations without feeling like an ass. I am beginning to take matters into my own hands, and I'm trying to find the words to say that will make him change his mind. He is so deep into these non-beliefs that it would be like pulling a sword out of a rock. I have never been one to force my beliefs on anyone, and I don't think I am doing this here...I feel as if I might be getting into it too deep. Not letting God have any room to work. I fully believe that my friend can have a change of heart. It may take a very long time, but that's okay--i've got plenty. All I can really do is pray here, and seek God for His words. I thought about giving up on it for a second, but then realized what will that do in the end? I would be in the same place. I know this situation wasn't placed in front of me just so I can shrug it off like a dirt speck. Big, big things are coming...