The Brave Podcast

Testimony with Sharla Flood

October 07, 2020 Season 1 Episode 40
The Brave Podcast
Testimony with Sharla Flood
Show Notes Transcript

 In this episode of The Brave Podcast, we get to hang out with another one of my favorite people, my friend Sharla Flood. Sharla is a wife, mom of two, organizer extraordinaire who shares her passion for the Lord through her testimony. She shares about the losses she experienced: parents divorce, loss of her mom. She shares how she did not really walk with God until her early 20's, where God literally spoke to her. Sharla's story shows us what lengths God will go to in order to get us to follow him. She then wraps up her story with a prayer for all of those who don't know Jesus, in hopes that they will follow Him.

In this episode, we discuss:

  • Loss
  • Conviction
  • Repentance
  • Salvation
  • Motherhood

Follow the Brave  Podcast


Let's shop!

The Drifted Drum has apparel, gifts, and decor that are faith inspired and hand crafted by local artists in Tennessee. See something you like? Use the code "Brave" at checkout to receive 10% off your purchase.

Do you LOVE bagels? Coffee? Just plain joy?

  • Guys, one of my new favorite spots to visit is Clingans Junction. It's a quaint little coffee shop in Squaw Valley that is on the way to Kings Canyon National Park. If you're a Fresno local or you ever visit this area, you gotta stop here. Yummy homemade pastries and delish coffee await you.  

Do you love to read but don’t have the time to sit down?

Try Audible! Get a month free: http://www.audibletrial.com/TheBravePodcast

Wanna learn more about me? Check out my website! 

Want to be a guest on the show?

Have a story you’d like to share? Know someone who might be a good guest for the show? Complete your interest form here.

Support the show

Alexis Newlin: [00:00:00] . [00:00:00] Alright. So this is the brave podcast and my guest today is Sharla. I just forgot your last name.

Oh my gosh.

Yeah. Alright, so introduce yourself and like why you're awesome. And we'll kind of go from there. Okay. 

Sharla Flood: [00:00:30] Hi, my name is Sharla and I. In married to my wonderful husband. Charles's, we've been married for about 10 years and I have two kids. I have Kayla who is a second grader. He's eight years old and Abigail is my youngest.

She's five, and she's going to be starting kindergarten in the fall. Wow. 

Alexis Newlin: [00:00:48] It's so crazy. Remember them being so little and it just blows my mind that she's going to kindergarten 

Sharla Flood: [00:00:52] and  he's in second grade. I know every day. Other heard it kind of breaks your heart a little bit. Like it's exciting to see them grow [00:01:00] up and do new things, but it's also very sad when a season ends, 

Alexis Newlin: [00:01:04] how has school been with things with COVID? , have you been doing most of the teaching for the doing homeschool for both the kids?

Sharla Flood: [00:01:11] Yes. Abby's preschool got canceled. So I tried to do what I could with, with her, but Caleb, he had to home school for three months and that was really difficult because. He likes to be out and about, and he's really social. And so he didn't really understand a lot of the things. And I tried to really not share too much because I still wanted him to be a kid and not worry about anything that you didn't need to be concerned about.

So we did what we could, and we only did the things that were required. We had to cross out optional academics because he just couldn't do it all. And so I needed to keep him a kid and let him still play a lot and try to be. You know, as much of normal as we could be under the circumstances. Yeah. 

Alexis Newlin: [00:01:51] I'm praying for next fall that we can  at least go back to school for the kids' sake for socializing and being with their peers.

That'd be really great. 

[00:02:00] Sharla Flood: [00:02:00] Yes, that's too. We're praying for that. Yeah. All right. 

Alexis Newlin: [00:02:03] So we're going to get into your testimony, how you came to know the Lord and kind of where you are now in your walk. 

Sharla Flood: [00:02:09] Okay. So, I wanted to share a little bit about where I came from, like in my childhood, but I won't really talk about those events.

I just kind of want to like Sarah to set up where I was when I really came to the light. so I was raised by two amazing parents and I have an older sister and. My parents got a divorce when I was 10 and they had been married for like 17 years. And I thought everything was fine. I thought they were like super happy.

And so it was really shocking one day to just come home and see that my dad's clothes were gone and I didn't understand. And so I walked through that and it was very difficult and I thought that that would be one of the worst things that happened to me and looking back sometimes I wish it were, but yeah.

Three years later, I was living with my mom during that timeframe, and I still had a great relationship with my dad. He was [00:03:00] really persistent in initiating time with me and taking me to dinner and , I'd go to his house every other weekend. So I still definitely had contacted my dad in a relationship with him.

And then, like I said, three years later when I was 13, my mom and I were in a car accident and she passed away, literally like. I mean, technically on the death certificate, she wasn't pronounced that. And Paul too is at the hospital, but I really think the Lord took her home.  when I was in the car with her,  holding her in my arms, which was a really difficult thing when you're 13.

I mean, I think it really, at any age that would be like 

Alexis Newlin: [00:03:37] the most 

Really heavy. 

Sharla Flood: [00:03:39] And so, and I actually finally had a place where I can talk about it because just recently, actually I got, Amazing healing, where you can go back. And those memories that you have that are so traumatizing and you asked Jesus to show you where he is, was in that moment.

And so when I look back at that moment, I see Jesus holding my mom and it [00:04:00] wasn't me and I have so much peace and healing that came from that. So I really think that's why I'm able to even talk to you about it. And remember it as a redeemed memory. And that that's when the Lord called her home. And that's the day that she was.

It's supposed to go on to glory. And even though it didn't look like how I thought it would be fairytale life as a 13 year old, it was what God's plan was for my life and for my mom's life. And I just knew that I needed to trust that, I was raised in the church, but I didn't really have a relationship with God.

I didn't understand. The role that Jesus played as far as having a relationship with him, either that he was God's son. I knew that he died on the cross, but it kind of just stayed as head knowledge and it never really made it to my heart. Okay. So, as I went through high school, I just tried to survive this after being through everything I had gone through, I really poured my heart into activities and into cheerleading, and I traveled a lot with that and we're on [00:05:00] national teams and that was really fun.

but it wasn't really until college that some of those wounds started becoming more apparent to me as far as like, Oh, I think I have some grief and some things that I haven't dealt with that I didn't really know how to do. Yeah. And that was led me to meeting a boy. 

And it's very toxic when you're wounded.

Alexis Newlin: [00:05:24] Yes, it really is. It's so funny. My mom used to tell me my mom has passed on as well, and she would always say, watch who you attract in your brokenness when you aren't really healed yet, because your light. And light sometimes attracts bugs. And if you're not doing well, you might attract bugs. You don't want like roaches and other things.

That's kind of how she would explain it.  it's so funny it makes me think of  times where I had been really dealing with bad things. I would just make some of the worst choices. When you're not healed, it can really affect you.

[00:06:00] Sharla Flood: [00:06:00] Yeah. Well, bless her for teaching you that and passing on that. That would have really helped me know that's it? It was mainly, so 


I'll kind of go back a little bit, so, my best friend introduced me to him and he's kind of like the epitome, like when you're 19 and you think of like this dreamy boy that you want to date.

I mean, he was all those things. He was charismatic. He could command a room, he could walk in and be everybody's friends. He was really funny. He had a great sense of humor. And he was athletic. He was super strong. He was all muscle. It was just like my dream, you know, I was like, Oh, there's so much in my life.

I'm going to put a bow on your head and call it good. Like you're no fun. And so, we started dating and we fell in love and we had a three year relationship. But during that time, God. Kind of was really getting a hold of me. I remember this one time when we first started dating, I had this moment where I [00:07:00] felt like it was a crossroads where it would have been a great time to  listen to that red flag and walk away.

And I didn't. So I remember vividly we had this conversation one day of just what life looked like for both of us. And if we were to continue down this road of dating and he really didn't desire the things of God, like he. He recognized that God created the universe and created him, but it wasn't something that he wanted to pursue.

And I was like, well, I didn't want to pursue God at that moment. But I knew later in my life, I would want to, and I'd want to raise my children in church. Cause that's how I was raised. And so I had that moment. I don't know if you've ever had that, but I had that moment where I was like now would be a good time to walk away because I'm not too far in.

Yes. But I wasn't strong enough. I 

Alexis Newlin: [00:07:49] hear you. Cause there's been times where like you see those red flags and you're like, I don't know, for me, sometimes it's, it's an investment. And then other times,  I think 

I can maybe change that person. 

[00:08:00] Sharla Flood: [00:07:59] Yes. I thought that you're right. I totally thought that. 

Alexis Newlin: [00:08:05] Yeah. And , and I think God is so sweet to give us those red flags until, and I'm learning to listen to them better. 

Because,  I feel  he'll be like, here, here's a warning. Just, I want you to heat this and kind of go with your gut , go with what I'm telling you with this. And it's sometimes hard to, , it's kind of hard to take that path, , cause you could lose something from it, but God would have something better. 

Sharla Flood: [00:08:26] . Because I was looking at this whole package. I'm like, well, you're everything that I think I want. And so just that one thing, but I didn't realize that that one thing would be my only thing. When everything else, when, when you lose everything else in life, God remains. And so he should be the first thing and always the first thing.

But sometimes you learn that the hard way, and I'm thankful for what I went through, even though I, I wished I would have listened to that red flag. Cause it would've saved me a lot of heartache and I'm going to say Elsa's heartache, but, anyways, so just progress in the story. About six [00:09:00] months after we started dating, he played.

On a football team. He got a scholarship in college and he was getting ready to graduate. And he called me one day to tell me that he was going to be, he played a special position and he was going to be doing this position for his friend on the football team is during scout day. And I was like, Oh great.

And we had plans after he graduated from college, he was going to move to the same town as me because his college was in Texas. And he'd be moving back to California where he was also raised in from. And we were gonna plan the rest of our life. And so I get a call after the scout came and he said, I can't believe this.

But they said I was better than most of the people in the NFL. And then people in the NFL don't even have a, the teams don't even have a roster position for the position that he played, because it was such a specialty position, but. He basically like blaze the trail and they created a roster position and he was drafted into the NFL.

[00:10:00] Alexis Newlin: [00:09:59] Wow. 

Sharla Flood: [00:10:00] So here I am, like, I'm half excited, but half like, well, what about me? Like I have plans and I had dreams. And so it was like just this mixed bag of emotion. But again, being still like 19 at the time, I was like, well, this is amazing. And I've always had. This life that people don't really wouldn't really want to be me.

And I was trying to get away from that. I mean, I don't know if people labeled me as the girl whose mom died, but I always felt that 

I understand that. Yeah. 

And I just didn't want people to feel bad for me. And I didn't want to be defined by like the girl that didn't have a mom or I just wanted it to be normal.

And so I felt finally like, This not only made me normal, but it like catapulted me like this position. That's so many girls would want to be in. And so I was like, so excited that I got to experience this life that. Even now there's so many [00:11:00] people like even fathers with their sons, they just love football.

And it's something that, you know, Americans love to watch football. It's just a part of our culture. 

Alexis Newlin: [00:11:09] I love football. I hope it comes back in the fall. I'm like, I will revolt if there is no NFL.

Sharla Flood: [00:11:17] Yeah. I really enjoyed it. He got drafted to a team and New York, so I would just fly back and forth to New York. Really extravagant lifestyle. Yeah. But nice. I mean, I probably turned 20, like when the season started and I mean, it was really exciting and exhilarating because I would get to go to all these really great parties.

I spent like Thanksgiving and Christmas with the athletes and their families. And there was no social media back then. And so it was kind of like secret. So it's fun in that sense, but. so it was just a really neat opportunity and very exciting. And, it kinda just made me [00:12:00] feel alive because for so much of my childhood and like my teen life, I was so broken and wounded that like my boyfriend became and his lifestyle became my source of joy and fun.

And of like, just feeling alive again. 

And so about two years into that relationship, I was at a football game and I had really gotten used to these little Cinderella shoes I was wearing. And, you know, at first it came with a lot of like guilt of like, Oh, we're, you know, like I shouldn't spend that much on dinner.

There's, you know, there's people that can't afford it. Or food. And there was like just weird emotions that I was struggling with in that lifestyle, but then I kind of came accustomed to it and really actually enjoyed it a lot. 

Alexis Newlin: [00:12:48] Yeah. I don't blame you. That would be amazing. And 

Sharla Flood: [00:12:53] so, there came a point about two years into it. I had a girlfriend that had moved in [00:13:00] with me and not really under the blessing of her mom, because she was raised Christian and I was not walking with the Lord. I was not saved. And, I didn't have a relationship with God. I wasn't living for him. I was not really making great choices. And so her mom was a little nervous.

I found out later of her moving in with me, but she felt like the Lord was really putting that on her heart. And so I'm really glad that. Her mom left her in that, and that she listened to the Lord and she moved in with me because she would pray in her room and pray in our apartment and she would leave books out and she didn't do it on purpose, open them.

And I would like go right to the page of, like, I remember this one time in particular, I picked up her book and I opened it up and it went to. Sexual immorality. And I, I just freaked out. I'm like, ah, this must be an accident. And I didn't really understand conviction, but I was super convicted and I just thought, Oh my goodness.

And so the Lord had been working on my heart and I didn't even know it. And so. fast forward a little bit [00:14:00] later, I was at a football game in New York and I was on the 50 yard line. I was three rows up with all the NFL wives and I was just really living the life. Like I felt like I had finally  comes to this place and I was okay with being there and I was celebrating it and I way that, and, it was a home game and. Their stadium held about 80,000 people. So if you can imagine and put yourself there, there was about 80,000 screaming fans, you know, as the home team runs onto the field and a lot 

 A 

Alexis Newlin: [00:14:33] lot  of excitement. 

Sharla Flood: [00:14:34] Yeah. Everyone wild. And all of the sudden in my head, it just went quiet and I thought what just happened? And I'm looking to the side of me to see if people are still screaming, because I can't hear a word.

And I remember looking at the right hand side of me and I see this gentleman about three feet from me and he is doing the body motion of [00:15:00] screaming. Like your favorite team just ran onto the field. And I'm like, okay. So people really are yelling. And I really can't hear. And I just like laser focused on my boyfriend who was running out onto the field with the rest of the players.

And for the first time in my life, I heard God speak to me. And he said, He is not your husband and this is not your life. 

Alexis Newlin: [00:15:21] Whoa. In the middle of a football game. 

Sharla Flood: [00:15:26] Yes. Wow. 

Alexis Newlin: [00:15:28] And you had already been two and a half years in 

Sharla Flood: [00:15:31] Oh two and I was invested, like you said, and I did not know that God spoke to people to me. He was just. You know, a God in the sky that my grandparents believed in and that they passed that onto me, but it was never, he was never real to me. I didn't know that he still spoke to people and it was the first time that I had heard his voice. And I just thought, I remember my heart just thinking to the pit of my stomach.

And I thought, Oh no. And my first thought was I'm [00:16:00] 3000 miles away from home. Like, what have I done? Like, how do I change? And also I had, I had fallen in love with this man. I mean, we had plans to get married. We, we had this future in my head and in his mind as well. And so it was really difficult to have that happen.

Alexis Newlin: [00:16:22] How did you break it to ... how I'm like, this is like such a great story. Like how does it do? Oh my gosh. 

Sharla Flood: [00:16:28] Well, after that happened, I remember driving home from the football game with him, which by the way, NFL players actually 

Alexis Newlin: [00:16:35] just get into their own vehicles and drive out of 

Sharla Flood: [00:16:38] it. Didn't know that 

Alexis Newlin: [00:16:39] I did not.

I thought they would all like coasted away in a car or something like that. 

Sharla Flood: [00:16:44] Well, they don't have drivers. Some of 

Alexis Newlin: [00:16:45] them have 

Sharla Flood: [00:16:46] really old 

Alexis Newlin: [00:16:46] cars that they had in 

Sharla Flood: [00:16:47] college that they love. It's really funny. It's 

not what you think it would be. No. And so 

I just remember driving out of the parking lot with him and just being so scared because I didn't want [00:17:00] to tell him what the Lord had just told me, because we never talked about  the Lord, and it was really good to me and I didn't understand it and I didn't know what choice I was gonna make. And so I'm. I remember flying home and I was just graduating from college. It was in December and I was finishing up my last semester and I had a Christian teacher and we were having a party at somebody's house and he was giving out like year-end rewards.

And, you know, I was, it's so funny, you know, I'm a humble person, but this is kind of a funny story. Just to set it up for you. He, like had the class. Vote. And he would give away funny prices. It was a marketing class. And so he gave me this like superstar coloring book because he said I was like the most popular girl in the class.

And, which is funny because, right after that moment, I went up to him and I said, I am so scared for tomorrow. Like my whole life has been planned out for me to go to school and to do this. And [00:18:00] I've crossed all my T's and dotted all my I's and I don't know what I'm supposed to do when I wake up tomorrow.

And I just start crying. I mean, here he's like ms. Popular this class, like bawling, like a baby. Like I don't know who I am. 

And, I didn't care at that moment because I just, I really like was broken. And I remember the Lord had told me that about, you know, he's not my husband, but I, I was still in a relationship with him.

And so that professor looked me in the eyes and he said, do you believe in God? And I said, Well, yeah, but I don't go to church and, and he said, well, you've got it all wrong. I don't work for Fresno state. I work for God. I'm employed by Fresno state. And I was like, Oh shoot. You know, like 

I've got some, I got some problems here.

And so I remember just leaving that party and my friend who also wasn't really walking with the Lord at the time, but she's like, She was just freaking out. She was like, I have [00:19:00] the chill, there is something wrong. Like, I know you're in love with that boy, but I think you're supposed to break up with him and I'm just 

freaking out with you and Oh my God.

Yeah, it was crazy. 

Alexis Newlin: [00:19:10] That is really crazy. So I did what all 

Sharla Flood: [00:19:14] teenagers would do. I mean, I was probably 20, 21 at this time now. Cause we were dating almost three years. And, I decided I will change him. So I started going to church and I didn't fully give my life to the Lord yet. I was kind of like one foot in I'll test it out and see how it is.

And, my friend was still talking to me about the Lord, my roommate. And, so this was all in January. And then by March I decided, okay. I would be good for me to move out to New York now and I'll just take my Bible with me and I will get him saved and I'll bring Jesus. Is that 

Alexis Newlin: [00:19:49] why you were going to move out there?

Yeah. Wow. 

Sharla Flood: [00:19:53] So what the Lord had 

Alexis Newlin: [00:19:54] told me, I was just like, wow. I mean, I've done it too. I have totally done it to work. 

Sharla Flood: [00:19:59] Yeah. I [00:20:00] was like, we will work this out because I had only heard the Lord say those, like, I don't know, 10 words, and then I didn't hear anything else and I didn't understand it. And I'm like, well, this is the life I'm building for myself.

And I really want it. And you know, life was all about me at the time, I guess. And so. I bought or he bought my plane tickets to move out to New York in March. And I had given up my apartment. I packed up everything I owned. Oh my gosh. And I was about two weeks away from, from leaving. So I was going to be giving my notice that a job that I had for seven years, I was going to wake up the next day and give my notice.

And I had started waking up each day and I wasn't. Feeling? Well, like I, I had this , nauseous, feeling all the time, and I really felt like I just wanted to vomit at any given moment. And I knew that I was lacking peace and I knew it had to deal with moving to New York, but I just kind of talked it off as like, well, I'm sure it's normal.

Like I just have a little bit of [00:21:00] here. It's going to be new and different thing. New 

Alexis Newlin: [00:21:02] start. 

Sharla Flood: [00:21:03] Yeah. I went to dinner with some girlfriends the night before I was going to quit my job, because it was two weeks away from moving. And on the way home, it was pouring down rain and I was driving home and I went into vision.

Mind you, I'm still not a Christian. Like I would not have considered myself a Christian. I was not walking with God. I didn't know. Like, just beyond that one time, God spoke to me. I didn't know that he gave people visions. I didn't know him this way. So I'm just driving home and I go into this vision and I see myself getting on the airplane and I, like I had before I saw myself walking up the steps and myself looked back at me and God said, if you get on that plane, I will give you over to your wicked ways.

Whoa. And for everyone listening. I mean, God probably. And usually doesn't talk to people this 

Alexis Newlin: [00:21:56] way. No, it's a talk to me 

Sharla Flood: [00:21:58] that way, because I [00:22:00] was not listening and I was going to ruin my life and I was going to marry the wrong person and there was nothing wrong with that, man. It was just that, well, for one, he wasn't serving the Lord, but two, it was 

God.

Didn't intend for me to be with him. It was my plan and my purpose. And so I was disobeying and I was not in the will of God. So in that moment, I'm still driving. It's a rain wishes 

Alexis Newlin: [00:22:28] for you right now. I'm just like, I could not imagine getting that response from the Lord. Oh my gosh. Like, Oh yeah, it was, 

Sharla Flood: [00:22:37] it was crazy.

And the Lord. He's so generous in what he did for me, because he showed me everything I would get in that lifestyle, which was awesome. That's to my detriment because it was like made the decision harder for me, but it made it like more cut and dry. So he showed me all the really great parties and all [00:23:00] the fame and all the money.

And for me to like beyond woundedness, I had a lot of, issues with. Financial security. So like my boyfriend and that lifestyle represented, like, I'll be set for life. Like I always want to be a stay at home mom. So that was just going to make all my dreams come true. I would never have to worry about working.

And so anyways, yeah, when the Lord had said that to me, that I will give you over to your wicked ways. If you get on that airplane. And he showed me that lifestyle, he also showed me to the right side. There was this other path and it was dark. And not because it was demonic, but the Lord said. This is my path and this path you'll have to walk by faith.

And so it was like literally a fork in the road and I had to make a decision. And so I went home, I fell on my face and just cried out to God and just apologized for the way I was living my life and just fully gave my life to the Lord that night in my apartment, on my [00:24:00] bedroom for all by myself. 

Alexis Newlin: [00:24:01] That's a lot of faith to have

Sharla Flood: [00:24:03] , I was so scared.

Like the fear of God truly entered me. And I was like, I never want to like disappoint God again. And not only was the fear of God in me, but the love of God that he would go to such great lengths to save me from myself and the decisions that I was making. So, this is also something crazy, but I just remember that night I got on the phone and yeah.

You know, I wouldn't recommend this to people to break up with somebody after three years over the phone. you should probably do it in a more cordial, like gracious way, but, I just really didn't have time for that. Cause I just felt like this urgency to obey God. So I just called them and I'm like, you're not going to understand this.

You're probably gonna think I'm weird and a freak, but, I just feel like I've heard from the Lord and you are not my husband and I can not move to New York and, and we just have to break up. Wow. 

Alexis Newlin: [00:24:57] And how did he take all of that?

Sharla Flood: [00:25:00] [00:25:00] Well, understandably it was a lot for him to handle and, he really pursued me for about three years after that, which made it really difficult because I was trying to convince myself and people that I just decided that, you know, to break up with him because.

When I was sharing like, Oh, the Lord told me to break up with him. Like, it just really, wasn't going over well with people because they're like, well, you love him. And he, yeah, loves you is like, why wouldn't you want to be with him? And, and you guys are compatible. And, you know, there were just so many reasons that people were giving me and, and I still, like, I love with my whole heart.

And so I was madly in love with this boy, but no, it wasn't God's will. And so I just felt like if I were to see him again or. If I were to continue any kind of communication that I would have such a temptation, like I just felt like I wasn't strong enough to do those things and put myself in those positions because I didn't trust myself to be able to walk away.

It was like in that moment, in that night, I had enough [00:26:00] strength and enough. Courage. And this is the brave  podcast bravery to like walk away. And it was God that gave it to me because I wouldn't have been able to do it alone. It's amazing. 

Alexis Newlin: [00:26:10] And the thing that too, that like that stuck out to me is that you said that he pursued you for three years after words.

That would be so hard. Like, I would think I'm like, okay, God, you told me not to, you know, marry this person. And he's not my husband, cause you also make him kind of  go away. So he's not like. Constantly there that would make it so hard . It wasn't like just cut and dry. It 

Sharla Flood: [00:26:33] was right.

And his friends would call me and he would call like my dad and. My dad just didn't understand. So my dad would give him my information of like my address and my phone number and, and things like that. And so it wasn't really difficult. It was a really hard time in my life. I spent a lot of nights, most days and nights just in tears, like crying out to the Lord.

And, [00:27:00] you know, I thought a lot of it was that I was crying with him, but I think it was just representing. letting go of things that I wanted. It was also just the woundedness of the grief that I never dealt with because frankly, I didn't really know how, I mean, I went through like counseling at my school that apart from Jesus, that can only go so far, like, you know, Jesus can truly heal like the endless part of your being and our, and set you free and redeem and restore.

But. Beyond that. I mean, you're just talking about your grief and there's not really like a way to get it out and a way to bring healing to your heart. So, you know, in my, in my heart and my mind, I was grieving the loss of that relationship and our, and my life that I had wanted and that boyfriend, and, but I think too underneath it all was grieving.

My mom, I was craving the divorce. I was grieving, you know, the life that I didn't get to have that I thought I should have gotten. 

Alexis Newlin: [00:27:57] So you had a lot of loss prior to all of 

[00:28:00] Sharla Flood: [00:27:59] this? Yes. A lot. Wow. Yeah. 

So, and what's amazing. I mean, I'll share, this is just, God has given me everything I've ever wanted. Like when I was 19 to 22, you know, I thought that that was the life that I wanted.

But I remember there was even circumstances where there was one day I shared with my ex boyfriend of the dreams that I had, where I just wanted a quiet life. I wanted a simple house. I just wanted, you know, a husband and kids and just to be happy and to feel joy in my home. And, and, He never really settled on, on those.

He was a visionary and a dreamer, and he had like these dreams of owning yachts and multiple houses and traveling with there's nothing against that, that was in his heart and part of his desires to do so, whatever the Lord would do with that in his life. so be it, but, from mine, that's not what I wanted.

And [00:29:00] so there's so many days, especially now, I don't know what it is. I'm 37 and maybe I just thought like, When I was fast forwarding and looking into my life in the future, like, I feel like I'm there, like everything in my heart that I wanted. I feel like the Lord has given me, but had I held on to what I thought I wanted and those fake pearls, I wouldn't have, I wouldn't be here.

And I wouldn't be experiencing everything that God has for me in the fulfillment of, you know, his promise on my life because I would have messed up and I would have, you know, missed the boat. 

Alexis Newlin: [00:29:34] Yeah. 

Sharla Flood: [00:29:36] But I have an amazing husband and he loves the Lord and he's so humble and kind, and it's so important in relationship, but humility because marriage is hard and, and marriage is to make us Holy.

And some days you don't really feel like being Holy you. Oh, like when you're in an argument to like, I've got this place where it's really amazing. And, I just love, I love my life [00:30:00] and I love my family and my kids. And. I just look out my front door and I have these moments with the Lord where I'm like, God has given me everything I ever wanted.

And I'm so happy that I obeyed. And if anyone listening, like feels the Lord nudging them, like I would just encourage you to obey that still small voice. So he doesn't have to get really loud. Like he did to me. 

Alexis Newlin: [00:30:23] But wow. Really doesn't want to, like, 

Sharla Flood: [00:30:26] I think in my mind, I always had this understanding of God that he just takes away.

Like, cause I had so much a lot, but I thought like, God just takes everything away, but that's actually not. I mean, he does do that in some circumstances, but I think what I want to say is that the things that he takes away so that he can give us something better, you know, and something. In his will and his plan and his purpose for us.

And that's what's happened in my life. And so I would just encourage anyone to really follow what the Lord is leading them to do, because he has their best [00:31:00] interest at heart. 

Alexis Newlin: [00:31:01] Yeah. So after all that happened, how long did it take you to kind of like, not like submit, but kind of like be at peace with like what had happened between you and your ex and like moving forward without him.

And kind of following the Lord completely. 

Sharla Flood: [00:31:19] well, I immediately started following the Lord completely. Like I, because I had given up my apartment, I needed to move back home, which was also very humbling and embarrassing, you know, as you just graduate college. And you're like, Oh man, I'm back at home.

And I am still working as a waitress and I don't know what I want to do with my life. And so. I kind of felt like God's stripped me of everything I knew. I mean, I just felt like I was at ground level and I'm like, I have nowhere to go by app. You know, I was devastated. I was broken. I was depressed. I was eating Jack in the box.

Oreo cookie shakes every single day.

Alexis Newlin: [00:31:58] They're so good. [00:32:00] I was like, man, this is terrible. 

Sharla Flood: [00:32:02] But, I just inundated myself in the word and going to church. I joined a life group. I surrounded myself with believers and I was like, I need you guys to surround me because I am not strong enough to like go. And so I just had amazing girls around me that just pushed me towards Jesus and, and just the Lord has blessed me of being able to hear him.

And just when I saw him, he was there and. slowly but surely the Lord blessed me with an apartment a couple of months later with that same amazing roommate, my best at the time. And still is today. We've been friends for like 20 years and, it just, she blesses my heart so much that she obeyed the Lord and the hard things.

And she ministered to me and my brokenness and I saw the love of Jesus because of her. And so, you know, it was hard. Probably for about two to three years, [00:33:00] even though I was pursuing the Lord and I wasn't looking back and every time he would try to call or come to my house, one time, he really did show up to my house and I didn't open the door, devastated me because I'm like, that is so rude that I did not open the door for him.

But I knew myself that I was not strong enough and that I wouldn't fall into both leaving that I could fix things. Cause I'm like I heard from God and he's not my husband, so I don't need to try to make him be my husband because this isn't going to work. And so, you know, if I had to do it all over again with the wisdom I have now, I wouldn't have that.

And, probably still mean I, even though I wasn't mean, but, I would have been more gracious too. Handling someone else's heart than I was, but I just knew from my own walk that I needed to do that because I just couldn't and I just wasn't strong enough to be able to walk away if I had seen him or talked to him.

So did I answer your 

Alexis Newlin: [00:33:57] question and you totally answered my [00:34:00] question? He has. 

Sharla Flood: [00:34:01] I don't think there was like an actual moment where I was like, I'm healed. It was just kind of like this painful. Traumatizing agonizing process of just walking with God through the pain and just crying and getting the grief out.

And, you know, the church I go to now is really good with, you know, it's 

Alexis Newlin: [00:34:20] filled with the Holy ghost and so the Holy 

Sharla Flood: [00:34:22] spirit moves and he. And people get set free of, you know, heartbreaks and addictions and emotional baggage and things like that. So that would have been really helpful back then. Yeah, 

Alexis Newlin: [00:34:33] but I mean, 

Sharla Flood: [00:34:36] God works with me where I was in my walk with him and where I was, in an awesome church at the time.

And so, we just walked together through, 

Alexis Newlin: [00:34:44] Oh, and so here you are today and now we're friends. So it's like. Really cutting. I didn't know any of this about using something like amazing, like, wow. Like what did amazing Dory, well, for those of you that don't 

Sharla Flood: [00:34:57] know, I mean, Alexis asked me [00:35:00] months ago to do her podcasts and I, I, 

Alexis Newlin: [00:35:02] you know, just kind of like, Oh, put that on the back burner.

And so Alexis has amazing followup and 

Sharla Flood: [00:35:07] follow through with that 

Alexis Newlin: [00:35:10] kind really I'm like I 

Sharla Flood: [00:35:12] was trying to fly under the radar, but. And 

Alexis Newlin: [00:35:17] it's so funny. Cause like, I don't know, I'm going to talk about like, this was awesome. You were so good at this. So glad I asked you.

Yeah, your story is amazing. And it's definitely going to inspire someone who has been told something by the Lord and to kind of follow through with it and to not kind of, to walk in that faith. 

 Sharla Flood: [00:35:37] Yes, absolutely. Just ask him for the courage and the strength to do it because sometimes we just don't have it on our own and know and do all things through him that gives us strength.

So 

Alexis Newlin: [00:35:47] that's the nicest thing about God is like, he knows that about us. So he will definitely provide ways to like, give you that courage and that strength and to kind of hold you up when you're like, I'm falling. I can't handle this Lord. Please help me. And he's [00:36:00] there. It's right 

Sharla Flood: [00:36:00] there. Yes. 

Alexis Newlin: [00:36:01] And so as painful 

Sharla Flood: [00:36:02] as it was, I'm really thankful.

In hindsight that I had that experience because that moment on the ground in my apartment was one of those defining moments of my life that I'll never forget. And I've never turn my back from the Lord since that moment. And I just, he was real to me, it was a raw like human moment and I just will never forget it.

Yeah. I'll never ever forget it. And I just love the Lord so much. And he is shown his lavish love towards me in so many ways since then. And yeah. You know, at the time it was devastating and hard. And I couldn't believe what he was asking me to do, but it was for my own best interest. And it was so that he could fulfill the desires of my heart because at the time I didn't even really know what the desires of my heart work.

Alexis Newlin: [00:36:44] Yeah. And so now you're like a mom and you have a business too, right? I do. But I've kind 

Sharla Flood: [00:36:50] of put that on hold to focus more on my kids. Yeah. I started organizing and I had a professional organizing business and then, then COBIT hit. [00:37:00] I mean, I wouldn't let that stop me, but I had a focus on homeschooling Caleb, and now the Lord's calling me the homeschool Abby.

And so for now I just kind of set that aside. Yeah. 

Alexis Newlin: [00:37:10] I hope you pick up again. I watch your videos. I'm like, this is so hard because I am not organized at all. My view of organizing is grabbing things and throwing it in the trash bag and throwing it out. Yes. Well, 

Sharla Flood: [00:37:25] my favorite game as a kid in my mind, so my brain works like Tetris.

So I love to like find spots for things and to declutter and get rid of the things that's like, Oh. Therapy to me to like, be able to have less. I need this 

Alexis Newlin: [00:37:38] mindset. I do. I love it. And 

Sharla Flood: [00:37:43] that's a side note. 

Alexis Newlin: [00:37:44] Oh, sorry. Go ahead. 

Sharla Flood: [00:37:46] But cortisol levels actually increase when you have clutter in your home. And so your body can be stressed and you not even realize why.

So that's also another inspiration to help you [00:38:00] declutter and get rid of things. But you don't 

Alexis Newlin: [00:38:02] like on cleaning days when I like take a weekend and I just clean. I'm like, I just feel so much 

Sharla Flood: [00:38:07] lighter. 

Alexis Newlin: [00:38:08] That's why. Yeah. All right. I wanted to ask you about, your kiddos specifically about Abby. Something happened to her a couple of years ago, and the CPU would feel comfortable sharing that with everyone.

Sharla Flood: [00:38:21] Oh, sure. Yes. So, about a year ago, last June, we have a really big iron gate in our backyard. So I live in this small town and we have our driveways in the alley and we have an iron gate that's about 30 feet long and probably about 300 pounds. And we closed it at night, but it, basically secures our property.

And, one morning we were getting ready to leave. And my son at the time was seven and Abby was four. And, I had asked my son, even though I usually don't ask him to open that gate because one time it rolled on his foot and he couldn't walk for like a day. Cause it was so funny. But I remember that [00:39:00] moment.

He asked me, well, can you get me Spacey's? And I said, yeah, I'll go get some 50 crackers and you open the gate and then we'll meet back at the car. And I didn't, factor in my four year old who was really, a little bit wild at the time and a little bit wanting her independence and to be like big brother.

And so he rolled the gate open. And in the meantime, in the split second that it took him to open the gate. She got on her scooter without a helmet and decided to ride into the alley. And, I was walking back down the hallway after I got the fish Packers and. Kayla came running inside. And I could tell by the way, sound of his scream and his voice, I could make out that there was an emergency and he just kept screaming.

The gate fell on Abby, the gate fell on Abby and he ran like to inside of our house, away from Abby and I dropped the fish crackers and I ran and yeah, really, and those experiences I in fight or flight, I usually lie. [00:40:00] Like I don't push through. And I had this like a month before. I think I was talking to the Lord about like helping me not to retreat when there's like hard things and to actually like in an emergency situations to be able to push through.

And so there was this moment where I was running through the garage and I could see the gate had fallen on her and I thought, Oh my gosh. She said, like, I just literally thought that my daughter was laying in the alley. That. And I, there was like a split second decision of like, do I run or do I have this moment where I fall on my space and not want to see what I'm about to see?

And thankfully the Holy spirit just took over me and I just ran as fast as I could out there to the gate. And our gain is about 300 pounds. And I mean, on a good day, I can lift maybe 20 pounds. Like I am not a weightlifter. And I saw her [00:41:00] under there and she was whimpering. So I'm like she is alive, but I mean, not to be graphic, but you know, when somebody has a head wound, the head bleeds the worst.

And so on odd exaggerating. When I say that she was, I mean, this might be graphic, but she was literally laying in a pile of blood and it was for. In that moment, the Lord just took over me. And I really believe, I mean, I'm not this weirdo that like talks about angles a lot, but like, I just know that there were angles there that helped me get that gate off of her because I lifted up the gate and she was pretty far under it.

She was about four or five feet under the gate, so I not only had to lift it because she couldn't move. I had to push it off of her, a good five feet and all by myself because I'm in the alley in the middle of the day, 

Alexis Newlin: [00:41:43] Charles wasn't home. It's just, you. 

Sharla Flood: [00:41:45] Right. There's nobody around. Like, even if I screamed for a neighbor, nobody would have heard me.

I didn't have my phone to call an ambulance. And so I did it by myself and I hoop her up and I just remember like this overwhelming peace and thankfulness that came over me, [00:42:00] that she was alive. And I was really scared to look through her hair and see like how bad it was, because in all honesty, I thought, Oh my gosh, like, This, this is going to be horrible.

Like I'm going to have to hold her heads together. Like, that's what I thought, but thankfully that wasn't the case. Kayla did help me find my phone and I did call an ambulance and the fire department came and they helped me. And initially then, and I, you know, this whole time I was praying over her, but I was definitely in shock, you know?

Yeah. And the, the fireman said, you know, when I first saw her, I was really nervous and I thought we'd have to take her for sure by ambulance, but. As I stand here and I I'm seeing her come to, I think she's going to be okay. And, so they laughed and I was going to take her to the doctor and I realized I can't cause my car stopped because there's this huge state in the way.

And without all that adrenaline and angels and Jesus, I couldn't, Leslie 

Alexis Newlin: [00:42:53] can move the gate. 

Sharla Flood: [00:42:54] And so, I called my pastor and cause she lives down the three and for, and a good [00:43:00] friend came and I was telling them. You know, just last night, I, I was praying for assistant really inconsistently Abby to be safe.

I just had this function from the Holy spirit that I needed to pray for her. And I looked at my pastor and I said, I don't think my first work like this happened. And I, I prayed my face off last night for my daughter. And she looked at me and we had that moment and she said, I do not pray. You'd be planning a funeral right now.

Wow. And it really spoke to me just how bears are and how the enemy likes to convince us that they don't don't matter. Not powerful enough. They're not going to prevent something from happening or things like that. And so, whenever I feel the accident from the Holy spirit for praying for something, I really try to obey that because I don't know about experiences though, anyways, to make a long three story.

Alexis Newlin: [00:43:55] she 

Sharla Flood: [00:43:56] had, when I took a picture of the wound, the next day, it was actually [00:44:00] showed up in the picture that she had this like about a three to three and a half inch area that looked like it was, had been sewn together. And, I asked her, had said when she was praying for her, she saw the Lord close the wound.

And so Abby didn't even need one stitch that is amazing. I'd have to go to the hospital. The Lord truly healed her. It was an absolute miracle. That is beautiful. 

Alexis Newlin: [00:44:25] And like, I see her today and she's like the most like light and bubbly and happy go, lucky kid you could ever imagine. 

Sharla Flood: [00:44:32] Yes, it was amazing. And I went through a lot of trauma with that and like, I think I had a little bit of PTSD just cause it was so traumatizing to have to witness that.

And, and I also, I had this like, compassion for people that actually lose their children because it is so devastating. And, I mean, I didn't experience that, but I, I felt like I came really close to it. And so, I just am so thankful that it didn't have, it had the [00:45:00] outcome it had and it wasn't. So I'm thankful for her.

Alexis Newlin: [00:45:04] Thank you for sharing that. Sharla. I just remember hearing that story in church and just 

Sharla Flood: [00:45:08] loving how the 

Alexis Newlin: [00:45:09] Lord took care of everything and took care of you in it. And Abby. It's an 

Sharla Flood: [00:45:13] incredible story. You and I were talking before, the recording, but you know, I, I really had this mentality to try to prevent every single accident.

And in counseling, this man asked me, would you have been able to prevent it if you were standing there? And I said, no. And he was like, no, why do you feel guilty? And I'm like, I don't know, but I just, I feel bad that I'm the mom and I didn't prevent it from happening, but I, I truly learned like, That's where your crest and Jesus comes in.

Like we're, we're only human. We can only do so much, you know, and I don't need to feel guilty. And the Lord, protects our children above anything else and above what we can do, because he loves them much more than we can fathom. Yes, he does. 

Alexis Newlin: [00:45:57] He loves us. He loves everyone much more than we can [00:46:00] fathom.

Sharla Flood: [00:46:03] And I have to remind myself 

Alexis Newlin: [00:46:04] of that click. You encounter people who you're like, God loves you and you are so irritating, but God loves. It's just, he loves everyone. Like, it doesn't matter what you've done or we are, or he still loves you. And he's still waiting for you to come to him. 

Sharla Flood: [00:46:19] Yeah. And if there's someone listening, like when you're talking, I just, until recently, actually like when people would talk about the love of God, I'm like, I don't remember where I'm like, they're so.

They're so lovey daddy, when they talk about the love of God and I've been a Christian for like, I mean really walking with the Lord for like 15 years, but I just, I don't know, maybe I just don't under, I just don't get it. You know, I just always really struggled and I'm like, wow, they must've really loved Jesus that they just.

It's like they had their moment. And until recently, like when I really went through another level of counseling in depth with the Lord, I really truly got in touch with how [00:47:00] much God loves us and how much Jesus loves us. And so when you say that I can relate to you, but then I can also relate to somebody who might be listening.

That's like, Oh, that's not for me. Or I don't, I don't get it. But the closer you walk with the Lord and the quiet time that you spend with him, if you turn on worship music, or you read your word, when you go to church like that intimate walk with the Lord is what brings that intimacy with him and really start to begin to actually feel the love of Jesus and God for you.

And it's amazing. 

Alexis Newlin: [00:47:34] It is absolutely amazing. So I ask all my guests, what are you loving right now?

Sharla Flood: [00:47:43] Like to do like a hobby or I like 

Alexis Newlin: [00:47:46] to do, like, what's going great in your life. Like, just anything, what are you loving? 

Sharla Flood: [00:47:52] Well, I bake the cake this weekend and it was nice. I mean, I didn't get to eat it cause I'm gluten free and silly meat and buy like a gluten free cake mix. But [00:48:00] it was for the 4th of July and I knew it would bless my kids.

And so I made this really festive cake and it was four layers with . Ooh, but the bite cake was strawberry filling and strawberry actual strawberries, and it was four layers and I made a homemade with icing and it was so fun 

Alexis Newlin: [00:48:18] and sounds amazing. 

Sharla Flood: [00:48:20] I enjoyed that. So I like to bake, I bake pies and cakes and cookies.

I don't know why I don't really announce that that often. So people might not know that about me, but I didn't 

Alexis Newlin: [00:48:29] know that. Yeah. I also loved to bake and it's funny. I, when I bake stuff, I don't normally eat it. I give it 

Sharla Flood: [00:48:35] away. That's good. I mean, it seems like, 

Alexis Newlin: [00:48:40] Oh, I don't. I know what went in it. You can have it.

Yeah. 

Sharla Flood: [00:48:43] Yeah. 

Alexis Newlin: [00:48:46] Thank 

Sharla Flood: [00:48:46] you. How this high cross is really good, but I know what's in it. 

Alexis Newlin: [00:48:49] There you go. Take my calories. 

Sharla Flood: [00:48:54] It's really fun. Cause it brings a lot of joy to my family. They love different things that I bake and it's just fun [00:49:00] to see the kids' expressions and things like that. So that's really fun.

Something I'm enjoying. 

Alexis Newlin: [00:49:05] Very cool. Charlotte. And then my final question for you is when did you decide that you were brave? 

Sharla Flood: [00:49:13] today? No, I about an hour ago.

No. I mean, I would say it's definitely been a journey. I'm not somebody who I would say, like, that's not like an adjective that would first come to mind when I'd be describing myself. It's probably be like one of the last things, because I tend to be like more timid and shy and reserved and calculated.

And I like to like, make sure it's God before I make my next step and things like that. But, I would say probably, I mean, Through that time in my life and my testimony that I shared from 15 years ago, like that was super brave, but I wouldn't consider myself like a brave person probably until more recently.

I just [00:50:00] understood, like I said, like the love of God for me. And, with that love, I, I guess comes bravery because you know how much your lab yeah. And perfect. I felt all fear. 

Alexis Newlin: [00:50:13] Yes, it does. Charlotte. Thank you so much. This is so awesome. 

Sharla Flood: [00:50:18] You're welcome. I'm so glad that I was able to do this and it was really fun.

So I hope it blesses someone. I think. Definitely. Well,