Christmas is a time for giving. We give our children and loved ones presents.

We give donations to charities and our churches.

We give because Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Jesus, who was God’s gift to us.

Giving is a wonderful thing. But when we think about giving, we tend to think about giving a present or giving money.

But there is something else that can be even more valuable that we can give: our time.

No matter what your job is or how much money you make, we all have time that we can give to others this holiday season.

And for many people, spending time with them can be a far greater present that something we buy.

For example, an elderly or disabled person in a nursing home or assisted living facility might not have much use for material things that we can buy.

For someone who cannot be with their families or even leave their home for a change of scenery, they might appreciate having someone visit with them.

Whether you play cards or dominoes with them, or just sit and talk, for someone who is alone or can’t leave during the holidays, getting to spend time with someone can be the greatest gift of all.

Another way we can give our time could be to volunteer at a local food bank or charity.

You could also volunteer to spend time helping families or sick people in the hospital. Imagine being sick or hurt and stuck in the hospital during the holidays.

Imagine if it was your child you couldn’t be home to open their Christmas gifts on Christmas day.

You can be a blessing to someone in that situation just by spending time with them and letting them know you care, even if they are a stranger.

Or maybe there is someone in your neighborhood whom you could help: an older person who has trouble getting out to run errands or cleaning up around their house; a younger couple who needs someone to babysit for them while they do their last minute Christmas shopping.

Or perhaps you have a neighbor who is alone for the holidays that you could invite over for Christmas dinner with your family.

There are many types of gifts we can give this Christmas.

Giving presents and making charitable donations are great things to do, but sometimes the best gift we can give someone is to simply give them a bit of our time.

Whether it is helping an elderly person with their errands, playing Santa Clause at the pediatric wing of the local hospital, or simply inviting someone over for dinner, we can be a blessing to someone in need just by showing them we care enough to give them our time.

No matter how much money you may make, the one thing we all have and can give is our time.

And just as Jesus was God’s gift to mankind, we can celebrate Jesus’ birth by giving to those He said we should take care of: the poor, the sick, the elderly, children, and those in need.

This Christmas, let’s not just give our money or give presents wrapped in paper and bows.

This Christmas, let’s follow Christ’s example and give of ourselves.

And from my family to yours, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Johnny Mack Morrow is a state representative for Franklin County.