Balance of Power—Spiritual Meaning of Declaration of Independence

As we begin the month of July, we are reminded of our country's bid for independence that began over 200 years ago after the American revolutionary war. In 1776, there was no balance of power; Great Britain controlled everything. A general feeling of inequality set the stage for life-changing events. Americans were much oppressed and therefore, the thirteen original colonies decided it was time to separate from the Kingdom of Great Britain. They signed The Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, commemorating America's first year of independence from destructive forces. Since that time, fireworks have been associated with the yearly holiday.

When balance is off, unhappiness usually follows. Numerous philosophers and teachers throughout history have ascribed to the value of balance in all areas of life. I have discovered that without balance, things can go askew. Without balance, fireworks can have disastrous effects.

Many summers ago, I took my niece, who was a mere two years old, to the movies. She wished to see The Care Bears Movie and I wanted to give her the full movie experience. Although I do not like popcorn, I knew she loved it and would be expecting some goodies to eat while watching the show. Therefore, when we arrived, we went straight to the concession stand, where I purchased a bucket of popcorn for her, as well as a couple of drinks for the two of us.

We proceeded into the theater and took our seats. She wanted to sit in her own chair. The theater we attended was equipped with the standard fold-up variety theater seating—one chair made from two different pieces hinged together. Furthermore, there were no cup-holders attached to the chairs. As we approached our desired location inside the dimly lit room, I carefully unfolded her seat with a free foot, and motioned for her to plop down into it.

However, I soon discovered that her size and weight were insufficient to keep the chair open. The chair sections were not equally balanced, as the bottom seat required more weight to keep it from closing shut. As I let go of her chair with my foot, it quickly crumpled together, leaving her sandwiched between the chair back and seat bottom. She immediately began to squeal.

I decided to pick her up and put her in my lap. However, holding a two-year old along with two sodas and a bucket of popcorn was more than I could handle. I came up with a plan that I thought would work. I sat down in my own chair, and temporarily placed the drinks and popcorn on the floor. Then, I lifted my niece into her own seat right beside me, while I straddled the bottom seat of her chair with my outstretched left leg, giving it enough support to keep her secure.

Although I was uncomfortable in that position, I was confident that this plan would suffice. Therefore, I immediately reached down, picked up the popcorn and handed it to her. Within moments, she began chomping down on the buttery snack. Comforted that all was okay, I settled into my seat and began to watch her enjoying herself, amused at the delight in her eyes when the theater suddenly began playing movie trailers on the massive screen that stood before us. She turned to me and enthusiastically said, "Aunt Cindy, I like that big TV screen!"

I laughed to myself and realized I had not yet picked up the drinks from the floor. I leaned forward to pick them up. As I did so, my outstretched leg shifted unexpectedly. In a split second, to my amazement and horror, the two separate parts of my niece's seat smashed together, wedging her between them. It happened so quickly and with so much force that the bucket of popcorn she was holding literally flew up into the air, similar to fireworks.

In shock, she sat there like a limp doll. The people behind her were also hit with some of her popcorn and I could hear them chuckling at the incredible spectacle. I remember thinking, "Thank God she did not have her drink." To this day, I laugh to myself when I think about how I lost balance and created a chaotic scene.

Without balance, life can become messy. Are you feeling out of sorts or off kilter lately? Could it be that you are feeling out of balance? If so, why might that be? Do you consider yourself a part of the whole of God? Alternatively, perhaps like most people, you may have been trained and believe that the spirit of God is outside of you.

The very definition of balance is simply having things in equal proportion—a harmonious arrangement of elements within a whole. Accepting the idea that you are separate from the spirit creates inequality and imbalance. Without balance, one side is stronger, which can create turbulence as each side works against the other. Had my niece's seat been made from one whole or had equal weighting on both parts, she or I may not have had any trouble maintaining her position.

Remember the slogan that began long ago and is currently printed on our currency, "In God We Trust." In 1776, the thirteen colonies were against imbalance and inequality. If they were happy, we might never have wanted freedom from inequality. Might this phrase establish that our country was founded based upon the spiritual ideals of balance and equality. Furthermore, only when you consider being part of the whole of God can there be equality.

When you make the realization that you are part of the whole, imbalance will dissipate and happiness can be attained. Why not stop the destructive fireworks that may be going on inside of you right now by embracing the concept of being part of the whole of God. When you do, you can celebrate more joyously the freedoms you already have within you. You have both size and weight within you to handle any situation.

God has indeed blessed America. More importantly, recognize that He has blessed every person on the planet. Let us trust in God, who is within us. It is only a matter of making that realization to bring His light and goodness forward. So, my wish for you is to make a declaration of independence from the destructive belief that you are separate from the whole of God. Have joy in the balance of power within you!

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