Jody McBrayer had it all. He was part of award-winning groups Avalon and Cana’s Voice, which kept him on the road for years.
Behind the scenes, life was not what it seemed for McBrayer.
In 2007, Jody decided to leave Avalon after being diagnosed with a degenerative heart condition. At the same time, his marriage was suffering, and he realized he was dealing with mental health issues.
This was difficult for McBrayer to face because he says depression was known as a women's disease and wasn't something talked about in the church.
"There's this whole perception of perfection that is just perpetrated. They expect you to be at your best the whole time, and even if you're not, don't let anybody know you have flaws or mistakes, and don't let anybody know that you've done this or you've done that," McBrayer explains.
Jody says he is thankful that that's not who Jesus is or what God is. He says God specializes in messy.
"Over the last several years, I’ve come to realize that there is healing in knowing you’re not alone," Jody McBrayer shares. "There is hope in feeling that you’re not the only one. This is not just about my life, it’s about sharing the miraculous faithfulness of God, and how, even through the most difficult of circumstances, he has always been there working on my behalf."
"My prayer is that through these words, someone will see themselves in me and find comfort, strength, and understanding. I pray it will help them to see that Jesus doesn’t just love them, he is crazy about them, and he will never stop working on their behalf.”