The Best Worst Decision: Erin’s Story [327]
Flying Free
Natalie Hoffman
5 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 13 May 2025
⏱️ 39 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Ever feel like you’re losing your mind but everyone around you says you’re just too sensitive? Welcome to the club you never asked to join. In this episode, I sit down with Erin, a long-time member of the Flying Free Kaleidoscope community, who opens up about her raw and redemptive journey out of emotional and spiritual abuse.
From marrying a man who knew his way around a Bible and a manipulation tactic (convenient, right?) to raising six kids in eight years while being told she was a “terrible housekeeper,” Erin did what so many Christian women are taught to do—sacrifice, submit, and smile. But eventually, she realized something crucial. God wasn’t calling her to be a martyr in her own marriage.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
- The subtle and not-so-subtle red flags Erin missed (like that “I wanted to kiss your sister” comment… um, what?)
- How spiritual gaslighting and weaponized Scripture kept her stuck
- The pivotal moment she knew she had to get out
- What helped her make her escape
- How the Flying Free Kaleidoscope and a few fierce new friendships helped her heal
We talk about the awkwardness of being told you’re abandoning your family when all you’re trying to do is not literally abandon your sanity. Erin’s story is heartbreaking but also full of hope.
So grab your tissues, maybe a pint of Ben and Jerry’s, and hit play. You’ll walk away feeling seen, heard, and a little more brave.
Read the show notes and/or ask Natalie a question here
Related Resources:
- Do you like listening to survivor stories? We have more! Listen to Marie’s story, Laurie’s story, and Stacie’s story.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Today, I am so excited to visit with Erin. She is a woman who has been part of the Flying Free community for many years. Do you know how many years? I started in 2019. |
| 0:12.5 | Okay, so a lot of years, like six years. Yep, six years. That is insane. So anyway, I feel like it's important for us to hear stories from women who have |
| 0:22.7 | gone through that deep, deep pain of not only being in an abusive relationship, but also |
| 0:30.2 | extricating yourself from one, which can be a marathon process. And then after you're done with that, then you have to rebuild your life. |
| 0:39.3 | And that is also very challenging. So we're going to talk with Erin about her experience. |
| 0:45.3 | And hopefully you'll get some takeaways and some tips. And just to even be able to see what is |
| 0:51.1 | possible for you. Aaron is not the only one who's gone through this. |
| 0:55.5 | There are probably, I bet you money, it's in the millions of women who have gone through this. |
| 1:00.9 | I've seen thousands of them do it. And we're talking, and I'm talking about Christian women who |
| 1:05.3 | have done this. And so it is possible. So let's find out how Aaron did it. |
| 1:10.3 | Hi, this is Natalie Hoffman of FlyingFreeNow.com. |
| 1:14.4 | And you're listening to the Flying Free Podcast, a support resource for women of faith, |
| 1:20.4 | looking for hope and healing from hidden emotional and spiritual abuse. |
| 1:26.1 | So why don't you tell us, Aaron, first of all, in your relationship, |
| 1:29.7 | when did you first start noticing that something was off? Well, I, looking back, I can see that |
| 1:36.4 | there were red flags during, you know, before we started dating, while we were dating and engaged, |
| 1:42.6 | I didn't know that they were red flags because I grew up |
| 1:46.5 | very sheltered. I was homeschooled Christian family and I only had sisters. So to me, that a guy was |
| 1:53.9 | kind of a mystery. And then the only thing I had to go on was my grandpa would always call guys |
| 1:59.0 | dirty rotten and to stay away from him. |
| 2:01.5 | So when he would do things, that was all I would, you know, I would kind of put that through that |
| 2:07.8 | filter. And so looking back, there were red flags. I was told red flags were if they're sleeping |
... |
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