Wendy is a young worker, works in tax (we forgive her) and is part of the Headstart young workers community at City Bible Forum. Recently, as part of COVID19, her workplace forced her and others to take leave. But rather than complain, Wendy made the most of it by deciding to read all those books she had bought at Christian conferences but never got around to reading them (interviewer pleads guilty too). Well - she didn't read all of the books, but she did read this one: Crazy Busy by Kevin DeYoung and here is a short interview with her about being a Crazy Busy Asian.
So, Wendy, why did you read this book now?
This book has been on my to read list for AGES! I’ve always heard rave reviews about this book and it was also highly recommended by friends, by people from Church, by people I went to uni with, and even by Mark Leong himself!
I also knew this book would be highly relevant to me and my life, and that it was short, punchy and to the point. It shouldn’t have been such an endeavour to read this book, but I just couldn’t find the time to read it… which probably meant I was one of those people who needed this book the most.
Now that the world is dealing with the pandemic and we’re in social isolation to help combat this virus, there are many changes that have been put in place, including at our workplaces. My current situation has forced me to take a break from my “crazy busy” life. I am now working from home and my workplace has reduced our hours to four days a week, giving me the opportunity to just be still, which has been really nourishing for the soul.
It also made me reflect on how busy and hectic my life previously was, and made me question why that was the case. I thought this book was highly relevant, and now that I had the time and also the desire to figure things out, I thought I would give this book a good crack.
You told me you have 2 copies of this book - ummm… is that because you are a secret fan girl of Kevin De Young or are you super godly and were going to give it to someone else?
Well, two people actually gifted me this book. I think they were both trying to point something out to me about my life… and they were right! As someone who was constantly living with such thin margins, I was definitely someone who needed to read this book.
LOL. Feel free to reach out and I’m happy to lend out both copies of the book! But I’ll probably have to post it to you or something…
(Or in millennial terms, I’ll yeet the book to you. Is that the right way to use that word?)
Can you tell us one thing that hit you as you read it?
There were so many moments when I was reading this book, where I would do a double take and reread sections. I think as a whole, I definitely related to Kevin DeYoung, especially in how he viewed things and how he was trapped in this cycle of self induced busyness. He was that person who kept wanting to do more and achieve more. He was that person who was at every Christian event, who signed up for every ministry, and who had multiple weekly meetups. Even when things were ‘optional’, he instead saw it as an obligation.
As a type three enneagram, I was someone who was constantly on the go and doing all sorts of things. I used to never see my busyness as an issue, and I thought it was just normal to be occupied. As time went on, I felt this growing sense of responsibility to keep doing more and more - which was never pushed on me by others, but was born out of my own self.
Crazy Busy helped me see that it was my sinful nature that had led me to be trapped in this cycle of self induced busyness. It helped me realise my shortcomings, some of which I previously did not recognise, and helped pinpoint particular areas of my life where I knew needed work. This book encouraged a self examination as to why I was living in a manner where I was being stretched at my limits, whether it was my people pleasing nature, my pride, or my failure to give priority to the more important things (instead, I had tried to just do it all). It really hit the nail right on its head!
Crazy Busy also gives a God-centred approach on the shortcomings of busyness.
It reminded me that busyness can rob our joy and divert us from our purpose as followers of Jesus. It encouraged me to look to Jesus who did not do every single thing (He couldn’t heal everyone, He still hid away to pray, He got tired), but that most importantly, Jesus still did everything that was in God’s will and never forgot His ultimate God-driven mission.
10/10 would recommend
