Podcast Summary: "Infidelity, Broken Legs, and Healthy Marriage: Part Two with the Navarros"

Podcast: With The Perrys
Hosts: Preston Perry & Jackie Hill Perry
Guests: Tony & Lehmati Navarro
Date: March 30, 2026

Episode Overview

This raw and hope-filled episode continues the Navarro’s deeply personal story of surviving infidelity, moving through the fallout, and experiencing both pain and profound restoration in their marriage. Hosts Preston & Jackie Hill Perry engage the Navarros in a candid discussion of hard facts, emotional and spiritual realities, practical marriage advice, and the power of Christian community and forgiveness. The tone is highly transparent—both somber and uplifting—with moments of humor, vulnerability, and encouragement.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The "Incubator Stage" After Infidelity

[00:46 - 04:31]

• Lehmati describes the “incubator season” after infidelity, emphasizing the need to block out negative or biased voices (often well-intentioned family and friends) and surround yourself with strong, like-minded couples for support.
  • “You need an incubator season where you close off the voices of the naysayers, because they'll be there...You need a community of strong couples holding hands surrounding your marriage.” – Lehmati [01:06]
• Tony notes many couples lack real church community, instead trying to recover alone or with “online church”—which undermines necessary support and accountability for healing and restoration.

Navigating Pain, Triggers, and the "Messy Middle"

[04:32 - 13:42]

• The fallout is fragile. Lehmati relays the emotional seesaw: constant triggers, grief, and confusion after an affair.
  • “Infidelity is like the loss of something you cherish...I was grieving. That's hard when you don’t...I didn't know how to do grief.” – Lehmati [13:43]
• Tony emphasizes that both partners are broken in different ways: one relieved at secrets emerging, the other stuck in pain and betrayal. He highlights the importance of honest community and not making rash decisions during this phase.

Honest Experiences: Intimacy and Emotional Disconnect

[07:26 - 11:53]

• After the affair was out in the open, the Navarros recount the awkward and tearful attempt to be intimate, even as emotional connection and trust were gone.
  • “It was sex because I felt emotionally detached...My body did what it naturally does, but we just had sex so far apart in the same bed.” – Tony [11:53]
• Jackie and Preston underscore that men are deeply emotional, often holding shame and confusion post-infidelity.

Spiritual & Supernatural Intervention

[13:43 - 18:33]

• Lehmati describes how God revealed the true depth of the affair to her in a vivid dream, leading to more truth emerging.
  • “I was awakened by this dream...she tells me where it all happened, and I wake up and said, ‘For someone who told me it only happened once, I just met the other woman in my dream.’” – Lehmati [15:28]
• Tony confirms everything in the dream was accurate. The fights escalated, including one that turned physical. Lehmati, at her lowest, almost attempts suicide before a police officer and God intervene, sending her back home.

“Break His Leg”: God’s Discipline and a Turning Point

[22:12 - 29:19]

• During this chaotic period, Lehmati surrenders Tony to God in prayer, asking God to "break his leg" as a shepherd would break a wandering sheep's limb to carry it home.
  • “I pray, Lord...grab your son and break his leg. Cuz that's your sheep and you love your sheep. And he's wandering.” – Lehmati [23:54]
• Moments later at a church picnic, Tony literally breaks his leg playing softball—a dramatic, unmistakable act that both of them interpret as divine discipline.
  • “I knew that I was wrestling with God. And just like you said...Jacob and the deceiver...here I am on the ground...I shattered my knee in, like, 18 different places.” – Tony [27:43, 29:20]

Hitting Rock Bottom: Depression & Suicidal Ideation

[32:53 - 38:00]

• Immobilized by his injury, Tony faces prolonged depression and isolation, addictive painkiller abuse, and ultimately a suicide attempt.
  • “I started entertaining thoughts again—‘You're better off dead, you're holding them back, you'll do it all over again’...” – Tony [32:53]
• Lehmati finds him in time. She reframes his narrative with hope, saying, “You're not Judas, you're Peter. And God's gonna build his church with you...” [36:00]

Real Restoration: Rebuilding Their Marriage & Discovering Purpose

[38:01 - 47:34]

• The Navarros attend a marriage retreat (“Weekend to Remember”), which gives them a new, larger, Christ-centered vision for marriage—legacy, impact, and generational blessing.
• The progression wasn’t overnight. Lehmati admits there was a long “messy middle” full of pain, counseling, setbacks, and slow trust-building.
  • “It's kind of like when you're in the middle of a reconstruction...you're looking at half-built walls, thinking, is it ever gonna be beautiful?” – Lehmati [42:01]
• God also dismantled their idolatry—of marriage, of comfort, of appearances—and taught them true love and service.

Ongoing Transformation & Practical Boundaries for Men

[47:34 - 57:17]

• Their marriage shifted to prioritize friendship, intimacy, spiritual leadership, and generational impact.
• Tony urges men to stop seeking emotional connection outside, to pursue the hard work of transparency, and to set boundaries with the opposite sex:
  • “There are more commands of the Lord...that have nothing to do with your emotions...‘Love your wife as Christ loved the church’—it’s a command.” – Tony [50:20]
  • Emotional affairs are as damaging as physical—they are anything that becomes an “escape from reality or a search for fulfillment apart from God's purposes for your marriage.” [57:24, Lehmati quoting Weekend to Remember]
• Both repeat: restoration requires “giving it all up,” active presence, and deep surrender.

Legacy: What’s Different Now

[41:00 - 47:34]

• Years later, their marriage is not just restored but “completely different”—marked by genuine oneness, joy, friendship, and spiritual leadership.
  • “We have a legacy...all following the Lord. That doesn’t happen unless the Lord literally intervenes. We are a miracle story.” – Lehmati [47:05]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Infidelity is like the loss of something you cherish...I was grieving. That’s hard when you don’t...I didn't know how to do grief.” – Lehmati [13:43]
• “Marriage is bigger than us...God was showing me, ‘You don't know how to love...I'm going to show you what it looks like.’” – Lehmati [43:52]
• “You're not Judas, you're Peter. And God’s not done with you.” – Lehmati to Tony [36:00]
• “God does beautiful things with broken things.” – Host 2 (Preston) [62:19]
• “An affair is an escape from reality or a search for fulfillment apart from God's purposes for your marriage.” – Lehmati quoting Weekend to Remember [57:24]
• “We always look at whatever we’re going to do—how is this going to affect our time together, our time as parents?” – Tony [61:11]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Incubator Season & Community: [00:46 - 04:31]
• Navigating Emotional Fallout: [04:32 - 13:43]
• Dream Revelation & Spiritual Insight: [13:43 - 18:33]
• God’s Discipline ("Break His Leg") Moment: [22:12 - 29:20]
• Tony’s Depression and Suicide Attempt: [32:53 - 38:00]
• Attending Marriage Retreat + Marriage Vision: [38:01 - 41:59]
• Rebuilding, Serving, and Long-Term Changes: [41:00 - 47:34]
• Advice for Men/Faithfulness/Boundaries: [47:34 - 57:17]
• Affair Definition, Legacy, Final Reflections: [57:24 - 62:45]

Closing Thoughts

With brutal honesty and unwavering faith, Tony and Lehmati Navarro share their testimony of hope: that God can restore the most broken of relationships, transform character, and even redeem legacies. The Navarros’ story moves from secrecy and anguish to vulnerability, divine intervention, and ultimately renewed covenant—their lives now a living sermon of grace, ongoing surrender, and the real power of community.

If you’re seeking restoration, their journey is a potent—and practical—blueprint.

Resource Mentioned:

• From Ruin To Renewal (Navarros’ book)
• Family Life’s “Weekend To Remember” Conference

For More:

• Connect with the Navarros at Family Life events or via their book (see show notes).