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
The Changing Leaves are always a miraculous sight for those of us in climates that provide this annual display of colorful foliage. The predictable transformation has become synonymous with change and a reminder that there is always new life, new growth just beyond what appears to be death. What is truly remarkable about the process is what causes the change in colors. As the hours of daylight become less, the tree responds to an inner signal. The signal is not to drop its leaves although that is what occurs. The signal is to begin new growth. The tree begins to direct its resources to new growth, to the buds that will occur in the spring. This focus on the new growth in turn diminishes the flow of nutrients to the current leaves and they respond by fading, falling and preparing the space for the new buds. As always, when I look at the falling leaves I know that new life will occur in the spring but today I recognize that the forming of new buds has already begun. In life, as I see something fading away, I know on an inner level that something new is forming within me. What falls away prepares the space for what is being called forth in me. This is the miracle of transformation that occurs in the trees, in my life and in the world. 
BREATH, the air that is inhaled and exhaled is evidence of the miraculous interconnectedness of all life. The BREATH I hold in this moment, is the breath you exhaled only moments before. The BREATH I release will soon be held be another. BREATH and Spirit are synonymous, both having the same meaning and origins. The first BREATH is the BREATH of God and we each continue to draw in and release the original BREATH. We are one with God, one with all that is, in a continuous exchange of the invisible substance of Spirit. God BREATHES through me and God BREATHES through you. BREATH is Spirit moving, creating, blessing, cleansing, renewing and revitalizing. This is a miracle of Life and all I have to do to experience it is BREATHE.
TENTS seemed quite a miraculous thing to me as a child. I recall pinning a blanket to the top of the fence in a neighbor’s yard, stretching it out and holding the lower edge with rocks to form my own little refuge from the world. Inside the TENT we could hide, giggle, tell stories and share secrets. It was a world unto itself, yet temporary, easily moved to another place for another day. Have you ever thought about the physical forms that we walk around in as being like those TENTS? Our bodies provide a virtual TENT in which we can find a bit of refuge from the vastness of the universe. They are a private place in which we hold our own personal thoughts and ideas. We tell ourselves stories about the world and our lives. Sometimes we laugh and sometimes we cry. And when we close our eyes we can close out the physical world around us and reconnect with the vastness of the universe, with the very essence of Life which is greater than all the stories we tell ourselves. A TENT is a miraculous idea providing shelter wherever we go. Our bodies, the physical body, the energy body, and the spiritual body, provide a place of refuge too. Within them we can close the door to outer appearances aligning our minds with the Mind of God, the ultimate shelter that transcends time and space and all that has appeared before us.
EYELIDS are miraculous to me in this moment. By purposefully closing them I shut out the world and open an inner sanctuary where nothing can disturb my peace. EYELIDS function without my thinking about them throughout the day. Such a simple yet complex party of my anatomy. They protect my physical eyes from dust, sun and other irritants. They keep my eyes moist and restful. But those are small gifts compared to the opening they create in me when they are closed. What a brilliantly creative element to the human form. I am grateful for my EYELIDS and now I close them and enter the secret place of the Most High and I am blessed.
REGENERATION, the process of making new, is evidence of the eternal and miraculous nature of Life. Life is continually renewing itself. Trees and plants continually grow, flower, bloom, become dormant and are then renewed. The cells of the human body are continually replaced by new ones. Charles Fillmore, co-founder of Unity taught that we are fully capable of REGENERATING and healing every cell, muscle and organ of the human body through our thoughts, words and actions. This is not a far-fetched idea. Rather, it is the outworking of what is our natural state of being; whole and complete. As I align my heart and mind with God, with the All-ness of Life, my thoughts, words and actions support the continuous REGENERATION of all aspects of my being. I AM whole, complete, in perfect health and aligned with the flow of Divine Life.
ZEST, an energetic quality that increases excitement or flavor is a powerful aspect of being. A tiny amount of ZEST from the outer skin of a lemon adds an incredible amount of flavor to a dessert. Add too much and the dessert may become bitter, overcome by the astringent flavor. ZEST, like the spiritual faculty of ZEAL must be used with discretion. When our excitement for an activity is balanced with Love, Understanding and Wisdom, we are propelled with ease and grace toward our goals. Today, I tune in to this natural ZEST for life. I allow the powers of Love, Wisdom and Understanding to balance the flavor of my being and I step forward with a mighty and Zest for the Life and all that is mine to do.
Eileen Patra 