“Love begins with this Give and Take”

“If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.” (Bg. 9.26)
Prabhupada, “The Matchless Gift”: It is not that Krishna is hungry and is begging food from us. The purpose of this offering is to create a loving transaction. Krishna wants this transaction: “You love Me, and I’ll love you.” As God, Krishna’s energy creates and sustains everything, so why should he beg a leaf, a fruit and a little water from us?

He will be very pleased, however, if we offer him a piece of fruit, a leaf and water with love, saying, “Krishna, I am so poor that I cannot secure anything. I have secured this fruit and a leaf. Kindly accept them.” Such an offering would make Krishna very glad. If He eats what we offer, our life will be successful, for we will actually make friends with Krishna Fruit, flowers and water can be secured practically in any part of the world by any man, poor or rich, and can be offered. We should remember then that it is not vegetarianism which is important, nor is it that God is in need of anything. The important point is that we simply have to try to learn how to love Krishna.
Love begins with this give and take. We give something to our lover, he gives something to us, and in this way love develops. When we create any loving transaction with any boy or girl, man or woman, we give and take. Thus Krishna is teaching us how to give and take. Krishna is begging us: “Try to love Me. Learn how to love Me. Offer something to Me.”
“Sir,” we may say, “I have nothing to give You.”
“Oh, you cannot collect a piece of fruit, a flower, a leaf or a little water?”
“Oh yes, why not? Anyone can collect this.”
This then is the method of Krishna consciousness which allows one to make friends with Krishna. We can enter into any number of relationships with Krishna. We can become a direct servant of Krishna, or in the highest stages we can become Krishna’s father, mother or lover. Krishna is prepared to establish a loving relationship with all living entities. In actuality this relationship is already there because He is the supreme father and we are His parts and parcels. Because the son is part of the body of the father, the relationship between them cannot be broken; it may be forgotten for some time, but as soon as one recognizes his father or son, immediately affection develops. Similarly, we are eternally related to Krishna, but at the present moment this relationship is simply forgotten or suppressed. Consequently we think that we have no relationship with Krishna, but this is not a fact. Because we are integral with Him, because we are part and parcel of Him, our relationship with Him is eternal. That relationship simply has to be revived, and that revival is this process of Krishna consciousness.