Psalm 60:6 "God has spoken in his sanctuary: 'With exultation I will divide up Shechem and portion out of the Vale of Succoth.'"

David is singing this Psalm in defeat - "O God, thou hast rejected us, broken our defenses" (Psalm 60:1), but here he is remembering God's promises with regard to the Promised Land. God had promised Israel certain lands, even if it meant dividing up existing nations, and David remembers that promise as consolation and with determination.

There is still a lot of division in my life, and the lives of many others, division that came quickly, mercilessly, and bewilderingly during COVID. As we approach the holidays, I am feeling the pain of that division and exclusion so much more, and I keep trying to think of ways to fix it or ease it a bit, but it feels hopeless sometimes. When I spoke of this to my spiritual director, he reminded me of my "cutting the strings" vision, in which an angel showed me attached by glowing strings to all those I love, yet we were pulling at the strings in opposite directions, hurting ourselves and each other. The angel then cut the strings with his sword and, though the cutting was painful, I felt instant relief, joy, and understanding. I knew I was to stay where I was and not try to go back into the mix to fix things. I had a similar vision after this, in another time of distress over the division between me and my loved ones. I saw myself at sea, floundering, going under, and then being rescued by Jesus who pulled me to shore. I was wet, cold, gasping for breath, and very uncomfortable, but alive and safe. Jesus looked at me with great love and then winked at me, before heading back out to rescue others who were also floundering. I knew, in that look and wink, that I was to stay put. He had many more to rescue, and He needed to leave me there for now. I felt a very clear "stay here" from His look. I was not to go back into the water to try and help others, that was beyond me. I was also supposed to stay on the beach, even in my discomfort, and not try to find help or comfort for myself elsewhere. Jesus was asking patience of me, a virtue with which I most definitely struggle.

Reading this verse today, I am reminded that God often divides things in ways that we do not fully understand. God is One, He is Unity itself, and He will eventually unite all of Creation in Himself, but while the plan is playing out, division is often necessary (see also The Only Unity God Wants Is Unity in Him). I have been given everything I need to know that God is doing something in this painful division. It is, for now, necessary and, while it makes me very uncomfortable, I am to abide in it while He works. To do otherwise would be to fight His Will, a pointless and much more painful endeavor.