The Balancing Act
A ballerina spends her entire career, usually staring at age 4 years old, learning to balance. First the child learns to balance with their feet on the ground in various positions. Next, she learns to balance on the balls of her feet- two feet to be precise. The child normally wibbles and wobbles with their knees partially bent.
Eventually the young student achieves a steady stance on two feet and graduates to the art of balancing on one leg. But after a few years, her job has just started! Once she reaches teenage status, she will once again be faced with a new challenge- pointe shoes! The beautifully crafted, shiny satin shoes hide what is really inside…glue and fabric hardened so that a young lady can learn to balance all the way on top of her toes. She must effortlessly balance (or at least look like it is effortless) on a two to three-inch platform. The slightest shift of her weight- we are talking the SLIGHTEST shift- will force her off of her toes.
And, don’t even get started on the male dancers! They have to balance on one leg, while gracefully holding up a muscle-packed woman. He must not falter or she will fall, and he must also keep his balance.
As Christians, our lives might be out of balance. We become so consumed with earthly objects, events, activities, money, relationships, etc. We wake to the earthly and we close our eyes to the earthly. Is this bad? Not bad, per se, but not what the Lord intended. In Matthew, we are commanded, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33, NIV)
The balancing act of our spiritual life versus our earthly life is as delicate as the ballerina on pointe shoes. Once slight shift, and we fall and must restart. If we seek and prioritize our daily agendas, our careers and our relationships to the point where they usurp prioritizing our daily reliance upon the Lord, we feel unsettled. However, when we train to make time for God in the daily, like the ballerinas do-diligently and with passion, we feel whole and at peace. We must train ourselves to find silence to hear God, to find time to pray with God, to find courage to witness to others, and to find wisdom to seek His will. Then “all of these things will be given to you as well.” Our lives will be spiritually balanced. It is then that God will provide all that we need. And in this balance, He will save us from busy lives that leave us feeling unfulfilled.
We will be better parents, better spouses, better friends if we put our faith in His word and seek the proper balance the Lord desires for us. Ballet dancers train for upwards of 40 years to continually achieve balance. Choosing a lifestyle of spiritual balance is not easy this day and age, but we must strive daily so that the Lord may do wonderful work through us.
Merideth Tullous is a mother, wife, writer, speaker, ballet professional/educator, and also works in a local school. She is the author of the award-winning children’s book A Gift To Remember (The Remembering Books). Merideth lives in Texas with her family.
