Keep a Level Eye

Picture from WikipediaWhen I was a kid, I belonged to a church club for children. I suppose it was somewhat equivalent to Girl Scouts, although I've never been to a Girl Scout meeting to investigate similarities. Anyhow, we had a pledge which we recited by memory weekly, that went like this:

"By the grace of God I will be pure and kind and true. I will keep the JMV law. I will be a servant of God and a friend to man." JMV meant "Junior Missionary Volunteers," and they obviously didn't have their gender inclusiveness in order, as I never had to pledge to be a friend to women.

The pledge was followed by reciting the Law of our club. It went like this:

"The Law is for me to keep the morning watch, do my honest part, care for my body, keep a level eye, be courteous and obedient, walk softly in God's sanctuary, keep a song in my heart, go on God's errands."

I was thinking this morning about that phrase, "Keep a level eye." I wondered as a kid what it meant, and I don't recall anyone ever explaining it. But I think that, at an intrinsic level, we all understood it.

Keeping a level eye means that you stay steady and calm through the insanity of this world. Keeping a level eye means that you keep your internal gaze on the horizon so that you always have your bearings in life. You know what's a passing storm and what things will stay solid in life. Keeping a level eye means that when others around you may be saying crazy things, you are grounded and can navigate through them without letting them overturn your boat. Keeping a level eye means that you have your internal balancing mechanism tuned on a daily basis. Keeping a level eye makes you less susceptible to manipulation, power plays, or threats. It means having the sense that you can "go through with God" without getting knocked down, run over or having to escape using unhealthy strategies.

And not coincidentally, if you look back at the law we memorized way back then, three steps precede keeping a level eye, steps which make it possible: meet with God in the mornings, live honestly, and care for your body.

Keep a level eye.