As the holiday season approaches, I was thinking today about giving. During this season especially, it seems as if people give a lot more. More money comes into different charities and more food is donated for those who are hungry.

As I was thinking though, I wondered what is the best thing we can give to people? All those things are important, but there is something else that can make even more of an impact – our time!.

One of my homeless friends on the streets of Houston recently told me that he loves us because we spend time with him and his wife. That impacted me.

Last night we had a lot of extra food from an event at our church so we gave it away. We came across a homeless man, gave him some pizzas and asked about his life. He went on and on. At first I thought he was a little long winded, but then I thought to myself, "How many people actually ask this man about his life?"

I'd be long winded too if I didn't have anyone to talk to and then finally someone showed interest in my life.

This investment of time reaches far beyond just the homeless population. How many people out there are just wishing someone would listen to their story?

I recently saw a video about the sex trade in Thailand. The face of the girl in the video has been burned in my memory since the night I saw it, along with a statement she made. She said everyone has a story, but no one cares about her story.

How sad that this 19-year-old girl, who has been forced into a life of prostitution by culture and circumstances, feels that no one would care about her story.

How it impacts people to know that we care! There are so many ministries that deal with meeting people’s “basic” needs like food, clothes and finances, but how many simply take time to listen? This is a basic need that we often overlook. I know I have.

For a long time I felt that just giving people some "thing" and telling them it was done in Jesus' name would change a life...and I suppose it could...but I believe that change most often comes when we choose to give of our time sacrificially.

To sit and listen to an elderly woman talk about the, "good ole days," to listen to a homeless alcoholic tell how he ended up on the streets, to listen to our friends tell us about their struggles. That beautiful young Thai woman said, "Everyone has a story.” How eager are we to listen? Are we willing to give our precious time to show someone we care? Where do we draw the line?

I heard someone once talking about giving. They said one of the problems we have is that most of us only give as much as we can without being uncomfortable. They were talking about money. I'm more thinking about giving time. The principle is the same.

Will we sit with the guy on the streets even after the football game has started? Will we keep our grandmother company even after our friends call and say they're going to the movies?

I write this as a challenge to myself more than anything, but I hope if you're reading this, it may encourage you to take a step of faith and give of your time to those who need it most.