It Is Okay To Say No

Naturally, I have always been a super involved person.

Despite being classified as an introvert, I love to be around people, plan events, and be in the know. Last year was my first year of college. I was coming straight out of high school and from being involved in pretty much every club on campus.

My involvement ranged from being an officer in the Student Government Association to serving as team captain on the varsity volleyball team. When I came to college, I brought that involved spirit with me. I wasted no time getting involved in SGA, a sorority, the Honors Program, and just about anything else a person can think of. As time progressed, I was appointed to a few leadership positions. I found myself at a meeting for a different organization almost every day of the week.

My friends would ask to hang out, and my response always had something to do with scheduling in between meetings or late at night when the craziness of the day was over. Often times, I would go to sleep around two or three o’ clock in the morning and then turn around and have to wake up only a few hours later. By the end of the spring semester, I was exhausted and a completely different person.

Once summer came around, I was able to catch up on sleep and see my family, which had been a rarity during the semester. I got into a more normal routine with a consistent eating and sleeping schedule, as well as a consistent Jesus time.

As summer came to a close, I knew I would have to adjust to a new routine for school and other obligations associated with my involvement. When I began my sophomore year, I was involved in approximately six or seven organizations that demanded small pieces of time on their own, but large chunks of time when combined. I quickly saw that the lifestyle that I maintained during freshman year would not cut it this year.

I had to spend time in prayer and wise council to make some hard decisions. I chose to let go of some commitments that were ultimately holding me back from other things, such as time for myself, family, friends, and most importantly, God.

I noticed that once I started getting settled into college after being off all summer, my quiet time with the Lord had been pushed aside.

What once was something I looked forward to daily, became a chore that just kept getting put off. I would tell myself that I would make time the next day, but it never happened. Here I am, a month later, having to relearn the discipline of making God my number one priority each and every day.

For a while I viewed alone time with God as a chore. I am having to retrain my brain to having Christ as my main focus and block out the distractions that are pulling my attention in every other direction. Thankfully, I have friends that keep me grounded and keep me accountable when I start to stray. In them I see how much the Lord has blessed me in such a short amount of time.

I have learned that it is okay to say no. I knew I owed it to myself and to God to give up some of my obligations in order to fulfill a greater calling that He has placed on my life. Some of the changes I have has to make have not been easy. It is hard to let go of things that once meant so much to me, but I know that my life is in the Lord’s hands, and He will lead me where He wants me to serve and dedicate my time.

I rest in that knowledge and feel at peace because of it.