By Christen Krumm, @christenkrumm
Everything always looks so much worse when you’re tired and hungry.
A few weeks ago, I was having a not-so-great day. It had been a week. Long days were filled with disappointments, and Friday was shaping up to be the longest day yet. Work for my day job was piling up, it had been weeks since I had been able to write anything, and for the briefest of moments, I toyed with the idea that maybe I didn’t really have what it took to be an author.
I (somehow) made it through Friday, with the “giving up” plan in the back of my mind. I knew I needed to push through to the weekend and then I could make a decision the following Monday. Did I really want to pour into something that could be filled with so many difficulties?
But something brilliant happened over the weekend.
I stepped away from my day job, ate some good food, and got a ton of rest. By Sunday night, I was ready to take on the world once again.
The moral of the story is do not make big life-changing decisions regarding the work the good Lord has called you to when you are tired and hungry. When you have a decision looming, and it seems like a whopper, pause. Take a break. Get something to eat (especially if you realize it’s been a hot minute since you’ve eaten a handful of walnuts at your desk) and get some rest. Maybe even get some wise counsel (preferable one that will ask if you’ve been eating, getting enough rest, and ask if you’ve actually talked to God about this or if you’re just making snap decisions). Once you’ve rested on it and talked to Jesus about it, come back, and then make the final decision.
Also, you could probably stand to drink some water. I promise you after a snack, nap (or even better, have a restful weekend), and a little Jesus time, the problem won’t seem as dire.
Remember. I’m always cheering for you.
Lyla Taylor has built a social media empire around her Ruby Rose brand. Yet, one wrong post causes her carefully constructed world to collapse. With no other options, Lyla agrees to a six-week reset in rural Montana in what she believes will be a high-end spa. Lyla couldn’t have been more wrong. When her first night on the Milner farm is interrupted by unwelcome guests of the raccoon variety, Lyla is ready to throw in the towel and head back to civilization.
Amishman Reuben Milner may crumble if one more thing is added to his to-do list. After the passing of his dat, Reuben has stepped up to be the man of the family. Reuben has no time to rest with his mem and four sisters still living at home. Not to mention, his secret career as a novelist isn’t exactly in line with a devoted Amish lifestyle.
Reuben doesn’t see any way out of his double life when the elders start pressuring him to join the church. And while the rental of their dawdy house brings in much-needed funds, it soon becomes evident that their high-maintenance guest will add to his workload and stir up fond affections that Reuben must squash down.
When the Milners need help sprucing up their rental, Lyla is quick to jump in, taking her mind off the problems she left behind. But the more Lyla works on the rental with Reuben, the more she wonders if her former life is worth returning to. Yet is it the simple life that Lyla’s heart longs for or a particular guarded Amishman with secrets of his own?
Christen Krumm is the author of the YA romantic comedy, It Happened at Christmas, and her adult fiction debut On the Golden Cliffs. She probably drinks too much coffee and creating stories is her favorite. During the day she runs CK Productions — a virtual assisting business specializing in author assisting and podcast production. Her favorite color is green (or black). She likes big glasses, happy mail, and pretends she likes to run (she doesn’t). She lives with her husband and three wildings in a small Oklahoma town. Connect with Christen at christenkrumm.com and on Instagram @christenkrumm.