Giving Time Instead of Money

           I am where I can really write my own thoughts down instead of trying to fit my thoughts with something else. I know I haven't done an entry like this in awhile and that I need to get on it again. Hopefully, for the next few weeks, when I am home, I will have time to do that again. I picked this entry titled "Giving Time Instead of Money" because I think it is the perfect time to write about what really matters around this time of year. I have had the experience of giving time instead of money this
year more then usual. My time was given to the Compassion International by volunteering at their "Experience" that I have wrote about.
           I usually spend the weekends before Christmas hanging out and going to Christmas parties with friends but I didn't this year. That cost money because of the gifts you have to buy and I went to a few and felt bad that I didn't have any gifts to give. I couldn't because I am low on money because of everything that happened this year so I gave my time instead. At the same time, I was talking to my mom while I was volunteering with Compassion during the Experience and I told her I wanted to sponsor another child. I was falling for another child but I am already sponsoring two of them from Compassion so I knew in my mind that I really couldn't. It was hard for me but I knew there was no way I have the money right now for three children.
           My mom helped me to be okay with it a little bit by saying that I am giving my time to help more then just one child. I have helped a lot more children then just one. Might not seem like the same thing but it is. Without volunteers like me, ministries like "Compassion International" couldn't do what they do for the children. They would all be too tried out. It also felt pretty good giving my time this year especially to one of the ministries that I love and have a passion for. Really, giving the time is the most important gift that you can give to anyone or at least it is to me. I would rather spend time with the people I love, even if it was to see them for a few secs, then to give them something that would last a lifetime.
             When I think about "giving time" and honestly, I just thought about this while I have been writing this entry. I do that a lot. Once I get to writing, I can't stop my mind from thinking as you might notice through all of my entries on here. "Giving time" is what Jesus did the most of for us. He defiantly gave us the time of 33 years on earth when He didn't have to. He gave us the time of being poor when He didn't have to. He took the time to teach people how to act when He didn't have to. He took the time to be nice to people when it was the hardest to be nice to them. If had to think what Jesus "love language" was I would guess quality time. How many of you would agree with me?
           While we are buying, wrapping, and opening up gifts that people we love spent money on this year, don't forget about the time that it took them to look for that certain present or make that certain present or even the time they took out of their day to spend a day or a few hours with you. That goes the same for the big Christmas dinner and all the candy that they made. LOL! But really, Christmas is about giving time to the people we love more then anything else. To me, that is why there are so many more traditions during Christmas and why people are obsessive about them, especially me, because it is more of a quality time holiday then any other holiday of the year. Quietly time is one of my love languages too.
            Think on that for awhile and see if you can come up with what traditions are quality time spent for you and with who you spend that kind of time with this Christmas.