How to Say No

...This is NOT a tutorial.  If it were, I would be the last person on Earth who should give it. It is more of a question.  Granted, sort of a rhetorical question.And please, spare me the speech pathology cracks... Yes, I know how to vocalize "No"... But When should I say No.....and, occasionally, Why should I say No?  That is the question.

Erica once gave me a book entitled, When I say No, I Feel Guilty... or something like that. :)  Good stuff-- I should dig it out again.  But I don't have trouble saying no when I really want to; it's more an issue of discerning when I should want to say no,  but don't. 

Where am I going with this?  Well, this week was really busy.  And I did a lot of extra-ish, social-type things, as usual.  I didn't regret doing any of these things.  The only other thing I would have been doing would probably be sleeping, and who needs that?  (Just kidding...oh, how I do love sleep.)  But what is my purpose and/or motivation in doing these things?  If I get more sleep, would I be more effective in my job?  Thinking of the 50 kids I'm serving at school, would I be of better use to them if I took a couple evenings off from the social schedule?  Most likely.  And that will probably come.  But for now, it seems like there are still some young'ns that need to be trained up just a bit more in certain YG traditions (i.e. PERKINS) before I bow out to focus on other things...and there always seems to be some family function back home on the weekends that I should make an appearance at...  So I'm treading some murky waters right now, trying to figure out my role and how I am supposed to be fitting into God's plan RIGHT NOW.

Someday, I might say no.  When it's necessary.  But for now, I'll probably just keep being a sucker. :)  For a little while, at least.