Carpenters and builders use a phrase, “Get a level on that,” which means placing a tool called a level on the surface of cabinets, shelving, and flooring to be sure they are not tipped too far in one direction or another. In other words, everything is balanced; you can drop a ball on the floor, and it will not roll to one side of the room or the other, and books will not fall off the shelves.
A level is a handy tool for building things that are balanced. But what if there was a useful tool for creating balance in life? What if you could similarly use the power of Love? What if we could get a “Lovel,” on things that might be out of balance in our lives?
Imagine this tool as a flat measuring stick with a bubble in the middle much like a carpenter’s level, but the bubble is more than an empty space in a tube of liquid. The bubble is a heart, representing an open space within you, filled with love.
Charles Fillmore, co-founder of Unity, a New Thought spiritual movement, claimed that “Love is the great harmonizing power of the universe.” Love is not just an emotion. It is not only a romantic or familial connection to another person. It is a powerful resource within us, and it is essentially the stuff we are made of. The essence of this indwelling power of Love is harmony, the bringing together of two into one.
So how can that power be utilized as a “Lovel,” or a tool for balance? We could tune into the heart-shaped space within us to view everything through the harmonizing power of Love. Seeing things through the eyes of Love is more than placing rose-colored glasses over one’s eyes. It activates a flow of harmony which brings balance to the whole being. It doesn’t change the person, place, or thing that we are getting a “Lovel,” on.” It changes us.
Opening up to our inner “Lovel,” changes our energy, our perception, and the power we give to whatever is occurring. This three-fold transformation harmonizes our own thoughts, words, and actions. The very energy that we project then has a harmonizing effect on the person, place or thing that we are experiencing. Sometimes this effect is immediate and obvious, other times it is subtle, a gentle stirring in another’s soul that we cannot see, but have had a role in activating it.
Regardless of the effect on the outer experience, the activation of the harmonizing power of Love within us brings us into a more harmonized, balanced state of being. And isn’t that what we are really after? Living our lives in harmony and balance? It seems that the simple act of getting a “Lovel,” on life might make all the difference in our lives and ultimately in the world. Won’t you get a “Lovel,” on something today? It will make all the difference.
© 2019. Eileen DeRosia Patra, OUM, LUT, CSE
Eileen Patra is an ordained Unity minister, inspirational speaker, and the author of the soon to be released book, The Mystical Ark: A Vessel of Blessings
Think about how a PENDULUM works. It is drawn from its center by a force or energy. Eventually, after swinging to and fro, it will return to center as the force of gravity pulls it back. If more force or energy is applied to the original swing, the return to center will be delayed. The workings of a PENDULUM are predictable and simultaneously miraculous; predictable as a law of physics, miraculous in its manifestation of Truth. Spiritually, we are sometimes pulled from our center by outside energies and experiences. But just as predictable as the return of the PENDULUM, we too return to center. The miracle occurs when we make the conscious choice to defy the pull of outer energies and return right here, right now to our spiritual center. The laws of physics are predictable, but the Law of Principle, the nature of God, the power of God within us, transcends the laws of physics. This we experience as the miraculous. Today I remember the miracle of the PENDULUM and I apply the force of Spirit upon the PENDULUM of emotion and I return quickly and easily to center. From this place in the center of me I let my light shine that others may see the presence of God and be returned to center as well. 
A tiny patch of SHADE on a hot summer day is a miracle, fulfilling my body’s need for shelter from the sweltering sun beating down upon it. SHADE is a byproduct of an object that lies between myself and the sun. When feeling overheated or overwhelmed by an experience in my life, I can create a miraculous spot of SHADE within me by moving my attention away from whatever is beating upon me. By mentally stepping out of the situation for a moment, I place the Light within me between myself and the experience. This provides the very shelter needed for a moment of cool, calm and peaceful balance. In the SHADE, I am reestablished in the Light of God within me and I am refreshed and renewed.
COINS, flat metal discs that symbolize a measure of abundance have two distinct sides, typically called heads and tails. The heads side alone is not the COIN. The tails side alone is not the COIN. The COIN is a multi-dimensional object representing at least two distinct sides to one idea. In our lives there are a variety of thoughts, ideas and feelings. Each have more than one side, more than one perspective. The idea of abundance for instance has two sides; giving and receiving. They are equally important. One cannot fully exist without the other. If there is no receiving, nothing has truly been given. If there is no giving, nothing is received. The space in which we live fully in the abundance of God lies in the balance between the two sides of the abundance COIN. What idea, feeling or emotion is tugging at your consciousness today? How many sides does it have? Is it like a COIN with two distinct sides; each having equal importance? And where is the point of balance between the two? How can you move yourself into that place of balance and experience what is whole? Could a simple flip of the COIN be the miracle in your life today?
RIVERS are the miraculous pathways the crisscross the earth moving life-giving water from one place to another. Like streams of energy, they move toward the lowest ground. Our spiritual body is an intricate system of energies connected by streams of thought, intention and vibration. Unlike RIVERS of water, we can easily direct the flow of energy in our being. We can choose to let it flow to the lowest space in our consciousness. Or, we can choose to direct our energies higher and bring the entire being into a state of balance or homeostasis. RIVERS are a manifestation of the miraculous process of flow infinitely occurring in our minds and in the universe. When we become aware of this process and our ability to direct the flow it becomes irresistible to step into it. And then, we become the RIVER crisscrossing the field of consciousness moving and directing life-giving energy from one thought to another. 
SHOULDERS are a fascinating miracle of the human structure. An intricate assemblage of bone, joint, tissue, muscle and tendon, SHOULDERS provide a variety of useful functions. They allow us to reach objects high above our heads. SHOULDERS assist in the pushing and pulling of heavy objects. SHOULDERS provide a great place for the neck and head to rest. And the SHOULDER can be a place where we allow a friend or loved one to rest their head in times of stress or grief. More, SHOULDERS are symbolic of strength and stature. They are a platform for another to stand upon. When I was a child I played with these magnetic plastic people. The object was to see how many could stand upon each other’s shoulders. They fascinated me. I found I could build a sturdier structure by placing them in a pyramid form; more on the bottom than on the top, each one holding only a portion of the weight of the next. This seemed to be the best solution for creating the highest formation. We are continuously standing on the SHOULDERS of those who have preceded us; in our lives, in our work, in our families and in our world. And we in turn will provide the SHOULDERS for those who come after us. It is an outworking of Divine proportions. Working together, supporting just a portion of one another we create something much higher than ourselves. SHOULDERS are a miraculous manifestation of strength and stature and we can join together to build something quite high, stable and ultimately miraculous.
DISCERNMENT, the ability to hold two or more perspectives and choose from an inner knowing of the highest good, is the miracle of Divine Wisdom flowing through. When faced with challenging choices, we can focus our attention on the challenge or we can take some quiet time to connect with a greater Power within us. Releasing images of outcomes formed by fear, we can focus our attention on a higher good. We can use our past experiences, filter them with Love, Wisdom and an expanded understanding of our oneness in Spirit to make healthy and centered choices. Balance scales are a widely used icon for judgment and rightly so. It is from a balanced consciousness, with all spiritual faculties awakened and working together that we most fully utilize our power to Discern.
“Hanging in the Balance” is usually a reference to being held in a precarious state, not knowing what the outcome might be. The phrase is often illustrated by a balance scale weighted heavily on one side or the other… the unknown having the potential to be really good …. or really bad.
Eileen Patra 