It’s said that to a child, love is spelled T-I-M-E. What means the most—and often the greatest gift we can give—is not another toy but simply our time and attention.
How a child’s eyes light up when we sit close and read a book together—or take the time to watch and listen while they show us yet another thing! Children need love, and crave attention.
In Scripture God calls us His “little children,” not His “little adults.” He made us to need each other—to be interdependent rather than independent.
Yet for many people today, time is a rare and precious commodity. With our endless to-do lists, continual activity, and quick bites of information flying from all directions into our ears and on our screens, we’re often left feeling unfocused, anxious, and overwhelmed. When it comes to giving to others, we find our tanks on empty.
To counteract this recipe for isolation and loneliness, first and foremost let’s make sure we spend time in His presence daily. Here, we quiet and refresh our hearts with His love, His peace, and His perspective.
When we’re with others, let’s give more presence by being attentive and present in the moment.
Let’s seek to share His presence in all that we do! Take a moment to engage with someone in the checkout line; pay a short visit or call an elderly neighbor; listen attentively while someone is talking to us; send a quick text to say ‘I’m thinking of you.’
Small acts of kindness can not only display the Father’s love but brighten someone’s day–even change lives.
At Christmastime, we remember that God’s greatest gift to us was His Son. Our gift to the world is to show Jesus to all we interact with.
So this holiday season, let’s seek to give more presence (not presents!) to those around us each day–and like little children, enjoy the gift of T-I-M-E with others.
WOW! What a timely message. I was just feeling a little rushed this week, what with everything going on. I am spending time in the Word and praying every morning, but maybe I also just need to reach out and spend a few minutes blessing someone’s day today also.
Shouldn’t be too hard.
Thanks for giving me a nudge!