I'm sure you know the feeling. Someone puts a box into your hands. Beautifully wrapped in wrapping paper with a ribbon. You have been presented with a gift. Designed just for you. Your heart is very happy. You can't wait to open this gift. With great excitement, you tear the paper tensely to see what's inside. But do you know it? Gifts. We all love getting them. But do you know that you are the greatest gift yourself? You were created to give yourself.
What do we mean by that? Simply because you are on this earth in order to give yourself the best and most beautiful thing that is hidden in you. You weren't made to just accept things. You were created to give yourself. Yes, all what you have, who you are, what is inside you. That's why we also have two hands. With one to receive, with the other one to give. Lenka and I want to write in this blog about how to be a gift in a relationship. Can you be a gift to another when you are not physically together? From our experience, we can say unequivocally: "Yes." Therefore, we would like to dedicate this blog to all couples who are not currently physically together. At the same time, however, we want to encourage and inspire those couples who are physically together.
We would like to introduce you to 5 practical points on how to be a gift for the other. Are you ready? We are, so let's do it:
1. Listen to what the other person likes. This is a very simple and practical step. How do you find out? By listening. All you have to do is allow the other to be with you for who he/she is. Your loved one will usually say during the conversation what he/she would wish or what he/she likes. It is necessary to write down and remember this special moment. Some people like it when you pay attention to them, someone feels loved when you make something for them, someone likes it when you stick to what is said, when you feel support, someone enjoys a letter, a song, a poem, a photo, a message during the day, ... There are so many options. This is a space where you can give myself to another in a way that will please and bring a lot of joy. That is why we ask you, "What will please your loved one?" Do you know that? If so, there is nothing to wait for.
2. Pray for how and when to give to another. Once you know what will please your dear, we invite you to pray to God to show you how to give this gift. God knows perfectly the person with whom you are in a relationship. He knows his/her heart. We believe that if you ask Him, He will come up with an idea of how to be a gift for this person even from a distance. For example, if someone feels loved when you write a poem to them, God can practically guide you in how to write it. If someone likes attention, God can remind you during the day, "Write to him/her." At the same time, we believe that the timing of the gift is an important point. Some gifts may have been thought out in advance, but their time has not yet come. Again, we invite you to pray to the Heavenly Father to lead you in this timing, directing your heart to the loved one at the right time.
3. Be creative. This point is about encouraging you to be creative and finding ways to give yourself one step at the time. The relationship is dynamic. There is a gradual development in it. Therefore, your way of giving is also evolving and shifting. Here is an example: if you started composing a song you sent and you know how to play the guitar, move your gift further and record a video where you play this song on the guitar yourself. Over time, you can compose and record more and more. In other words, if you started sending 2 verses of the poem, move on and compose longer. Your relationship has its own way of giving. Again, we invite you to pray for how you can be a gift to my loved one. God is quite creative, so we believe that He has a lot of ideas ready for you.
4. Give yourself first. Here we would like to encourage you to give yourself first. Sometimes we wait for the other person to come up with something. Our attitudes are often selfish: “I will wait for a gift. I've given it before. I've already come up with something new. I. I. And I.” But love is about giving. Love doesn't wait, wish to give away, to please, to share. We are not telling you now to shower your loved one with gifts every day. Rather, it is important not to be afraid to take the first step. Become vulnerable. "Going out with your skin," as they say. Please do not allow fear or anything else to stop you from giving. You have something to offer. We believe that giving and mutual love is given back. The courage you enter will bear great fruit in the form of the growth of a tree of love between the two of you.
5. Involve technology. Since you are not physically with your loved one now, it is necessary to involve all the possibilities that will help you in self-giving. What do we mean by that? Use various applications to keep in touch with him/her, use the mail service to send a letter, use a mobile phone to send an encouraging video, text or voice message, ... Today we have so many options to be in touch, even if we are not physically present. We invite you to use them. They will help you at a distance to be an even greater gift. They will help in the growth of the seeds of love between the two of you.
In this blog, we've outlined a few steps to help you be a gift to another when you're not physically together. We believe that they can be an encouragement and inspiration for you to further build a relationship with your dear one. Lenka and I believe that by such mutual self-giving to each other, we gradually build a house of one heart and one mind even from a distance at a time when you are not facing each other.
We bless you; may God guide you on the path of self-giving. Let Him show you concrete steps on how to be a gift to the other. Find the courage and creativity you need to take you both on the path to building your relationship. We pray that you will become one heart and one mind at a distance through mutual giving. It's worth it. Amen!
Lenka & Marek