Overcoming Brokenness
The idea of broken families isn’t foreign to God.
Next on the Jerry Springer Show: A woman claims she didn’t have an affair but is pregnant… and man denies that the baby is his. He is debating whether to dump her quietly or publicly annihilate her.
I know this sounds like it could have been an episode on the infamous talk show but, in reality, it is the birth story of Jesus Christ. Book after book in the Bible displays dysfunctional families throughout history. Even Jesus’ family wasn’t immune to being wounded.
But what started out as a broken beginning finished as the best love story of all time!
Examining Jesus’ conception through the lens of modern mental health…
… Mary would look like a delusional schizophrenic or, at best, a pathological liar.
Imagine her trying to convince her family, friends, and fiancé that the child within her was from God. Imagine how depressed and anxiety-riddled she must have been when no one believed her and life as she knew it started falling apart.
Despite knowing what God purposed in her heart, she was at risk for losing everything, even her own life and the life of her unborn child. The amount of fear she faced is almost palpable. Now, add pregnancy hormones on top of that!
Mary faced her future with immense uncertainty and undeniable rejection. She knew what God told her, and she knew she had a higher purpose for her life.
But her calling did not make her impervious to deep feelings of despair, hurt, or pain.
Mary’s anguish was overwhelming, but so was Joseph’s.
When people discover they have been betrayed or cheated on, the rage they feel is very real and very intense. It feels like a gut-punch that leaves you breathless, with the world spinning out of control. Joseph was a Godly man, but he was still human. And true to human form, Joseph probably felt this rage as well, along with feelings of being betrayed, lied to, rejected, and abandoned.
Despite the pain, his love for Mary ran deep. How do we know this? By law, he could have immediately had her killed… but, instead, he was considering divorcing her quietly. In spite of his pain, his love for her compelled him to spare her life, albeit a life without him. As Joseph was contemplating his options, his family and friends probably had plenty input and juicy gossip.
Think about the advice, ridicule, and shame Joseph must have endured for even considering a quiet divorce.
God’s “Plan C” for Joseph and Mary…
In fact, the pressure was so immense and so influential that God sent an angel to him in a dream and gave him an alternative: marry the girl.
Joseph, being a God-fearing man, chose to honor God instead of succumbing to the cultural pressures surrounding him. His ego and pride did not care about what other people thought. He cared about what was right and what God thought. Joseph chose to do it God’s way.
Mary’s and Joseph’s brokenness continued throughout her pregnancy…
There was a census in the land, and Joseph had to travel back to his hometown. They were in his HOMETOWN, yet there was nowhere for them to stay. Not a single friend or family member – no relative, cousin, auntie, or uncle had any extra room, and the local inn was full.
They ended up in a barn, with animals and the fragrance of manure lingering in the air… not exactly the way any mother or father desires to bring a child into the world.
Despite God’s promise, broken is how this little family began. This family’s brokenness is a lot more obvious from the beginning. For other families, though, the brokenness doesn’t show up until months or years later.
Regardless of when the brokenness appears, there is one thing that stands out in this story and others as making all the difference: they received support and counsel.
Faith, blessings, and knowing you’re not crazy…
After Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph continued to receive help, even from the most unlikely people. Shepherds, who heard the angels proclaim the birth, came to give confirmation and uplift them. The Wise Men came bearing precious and valuable gifts and, again, affirming what they knew for the last nine months of their lives, the King of Kings was in their arms and they weren’t crazy.
God even sent another angel to counsel and warn them of impeding danger. They were able to endure and heal because they received outside help.
Likewise, your family will survive and thrive by receiving the correct type of help as well.
Bottom line: Mary and Joseph couldn’t have made it on their own.
Their family was a mixture of adoption, step-parenting, half-siblings, and family drama.
They needed the love of God, wise counsel, and encouraging support to be able to heal their hurt and raise God’s son with intention and purpose.
Because of their dedication to each other, to their calling, and to their healing, they helped facilitate the best love story of all time: Jesus Christ.
Likewise, God has a plan of healing for your family, and it may come in a way that you never anticipated. Counseling and seeking therapeutic assistance can be the very answer to your prayers of restoring your marriage and mending your family.
The invitation is extended to you to call Abba’s Heart Counseling Center and start your journey toward recovery and wholeness. Call today at (407) 285-6284.