TO RUN OR NOT TO RUN!

Ten years ago Chad walked into my life as a struggling man fresh out of the army whom had been in a bad marriage that lasted about a year and a half. When I first saw him after not seeing him for more than 4 years my heart melted...there stood this man that won my heart when I was just a young girl finding puppy love..From that very moment even though I was young I was determined to not let him get away from me again. I knew that if God brought him back into town and for Chad to come and look for me then there was a reason behind it. We continued as friends for a while and then quickly started dating..I was a Senior in High School and here was this older man whom had been half way around the world a time or two, he had already lived a life outside of our one horse town....and because of those things mom was terrified for me. As much as she complained about the situation the more I pulled closer to Chad (I am not sure why that works that way but I am praying for my girls sake it wont lol) I moved out of my moms house when I was a senior and moved in with Chad, not the smartest decision I have ever made but needless to say I did it. It was bad....unfortunately his family had a lot of problems which I had no clue about before..BUT I stayed! I stayed through the fights, through the screams, through the lack of money, I stayed...even when I was broken and hurt and I thought I had nothing left to give him....I STAYED!! Still to this day I am not for sure why, but I did. Chad and I married in 2002 a year after I graduated High School, times had gotten a little better at that point but it still wasn't perfect...We did not have good jobs, I decided against College and we lived with his family AGAIN!! It's funny now looking back over the last 10 years just how much stuff we have overcome together. If only then we knew where we would be at and what we would be doing today, maybe our first 5 years in our relationship would have been better. Through every hardship there has been happiness at the end. We have gone from sleeping in a camper trailer to owning our own home. We have gone from not knowing how to communicate without arguing to having full conversations without an argument. God has worked in our lives....and honestly I can not remember ever just praying for him to take over our lives....BUT God knew what he was doing the whole time. Chad and I discuss the whole "praising God" thing SEVERAL times...AND about a year ago Chad actually said to me... "I WILL NEVER be able to be that person that raises my hands up to praise GOD" of course I laughed at him and told him to never say never, and he said "trust me, Ashley" :)......WELL WELL WELL...It's funny how God will make you eat your own words some days... in the last two weekends CHAD'S ARMS COULDN'T HAVE BEEN HIGHER IN THE AIR! We got in the truck after church yesterday and I had not mentioned it at all until then, I said "HMMMMMM, honey seems like not long ago I remember you telling me you would never be the man to raise your arms to praise God".....of course I had that smirk on my face....and without hesitation he said to me...."I don't care what people think"....That's right my hubby is now the one standing in the choir with his arms raised high, and he is now the one getting sooo choked up with emotion he forgets his words to his songs (which Peyton thinks is hilarious)After Chad tells me that yesterday he also smiled real big and said "Do you know how many times God has told me to run!" BAAAAAHAAAAHAAA!!! I said "UH-OH, and through his laughter he said to me "GOD AND I HAVE BEEN ARGUING ABOUT THAT ONE".... :)

THANK YOU GOD FOR SHOWING UP IN MY HUSBANDS LIFE!! PLEASE IF YOU MAKE HIM RUN MAKE SURE HE DOES NOT FALL... :)