Going Crazy Till Wednesday

“This was no time for play. This was no time for fun. This was no time for games. There was work to be done.” “Yeah, that’s me”, Becca admitted. “But I’ve got to do all this stuff!”

Book: Going Crazy Till Wednesday by Jane Vogel, Focus On The Family Publishing, 2003

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 13-18

Subjects: Time management, homelessness, friendships,

Summary: Becca wants to do it all. In fact, she’s convinced she HAS to do it all. And she’s convinced she CAN do it all! After all, doesn’t the Bible promise that we can do all things through Him who gives us strength? Becca is a Christian. She can claim that promise. The question becomes how much does He want us to do though? She has responsibilities to her family – including her adopted little brother who wants to spend time with her. She has responsibilities to her friends – including her sort-of boyfriend. She has responsibilities to the community center – including working the night shift once a week. She has responsibilities to school – including keeping up with her homework. And she has taken on another commitment on top of it all – the responsibility of creating an outdoor adventure program for the kids at the homeless shelter. This involves hours of grant writing, safety checking, administrative details, and program planning.

Notes: This book challenges Becca’s interpretation of Scripture. She wants to believe that it can be God’s will for her to do everything that comes to her mind, but quickly gets overwhelmed and starts abandoning family and friends and schoolwork in an effort to do the extra things. It is attempting to teach that while God does want us to be serving Him, He also wants us to be wise about our time. Rather than doing a ton of things, He wants us to spend time with Him and others.

Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Luke 10:38-42 – As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”