Cultivate Relationships

Encouragement Today & Motivation Monday

Do you have family and friends who mean everything to you?

Most people do, now think about what you do to keep them close? Do you invest your time, effort, imagination, and energy into them?

“Your family and your love must be cultivated like a garden. Time, effort, and imagination must be summoned constantly to keep any relationship flourishing and growing.” Jim Rohn 

Do you shop for them? Text them? Call them? Show them how much you love and care for them?

Most people would say yes because that is how we maintain our relationships.

Ok, how about this twist, do you have a relationship that is struggling? Do you have a spouse, family member, or a close friend that is in your life and you are struggling to maintain a relationship with them?

I am going to present a challenge to you. Thoughtfully and prayerfully consider what they like and what they hold that is meaningful to them then consider doing an act of love for them today.

This act should not be done to receive any form of recognition back. It should be done to show them for no specific reason that you love them and still care about them.

Things to consider can be sending flowers. Write a note and deliver or mail it to just say, “I love you or I was thinking about you today.” Consider if you work with them or live with them of buying their favorite drink or snack and leave it on their desk or on the table with a simple note that says I care about you. Consider if you live with them to make their favorite food.

It can be simple, but it has to come from your heart. 

It is amazing how fragile and damaged relationships stem a lot from the feeling of abandonment or damaged feelings. They don’t feel loved or cared about any more.

Now, I can hear many of you thinking, but I am the one who has been damaged and hurt. They ruined our relationship and I am hurt.

My friend, I am there with you. I know that hurt feeling and how deep it runs, but it doesn’t dismiss us from still doing what is right.

I am feeling in my heart this note of encouragement was designed for many of you who are hurt by someone. I feel God is wanting me to encourage all of you to do this random act of love because He is already working on their hearts. He is healing their hearts, but He needs your help by sharing just a simple moment of your time with a simple gesture of love to encourage the healing in their hearts.

Now, be mindful, this one random act of love by itself isn’t enough, however every act of healing has to begin with taking one step forward. I, by no means, am stating this will heal all relationships, but I am stating if you go out on this limb then God will guide you from there.

My challenge is designed to encourage you to take that first difficult step forward and I am trusting God will do the rest for you.

When I give you these challenges I take them seriously as well. While I was writing this I had two people come to mind that I will be doing my simple gestures for.

Now, My Friend, how about you? Will you consider doing this for someone God puts on your heart?

If you do, feel free to leave a simple comment below stating I will accept your challenge.