Listen closely, and you will experience the rhythms of life. How beautiful to discover we are not alone in the daily rhythms. Sometimes conversations can be a distraction, or we hear the words spoken as an interruption to our lives, and in some cases, hurtful.

I’ve stayed put in my chapter of Waymaker. Partly because I’m overwhelmed with the content and partly because I’m stuck. Stuck, in a good way. Not wanting to rush through, I decide to stay on the few pages and savor them.

Cruciformity to surrender to God is part three of SACRED.

This chapter came the morning I prayed and talked aloud to my Aunt Shirley, who passed away over the Thanksgiving holiday. I took a picture of the morning sky, and when I pulled up the picture, the sun’s reflection through the trees and my camera lens brought me the image of a cross.

God confirmed my next chapter and reminded me of Shirley’s love for the message of the cross.

The author, Ann, shares a story from her trip to Israel. During a trip up the mountain, the guide corrected her understanding of the word “sacrifice.” What do you think about when you hear the word sacrifice?

For me, words that came to mind were pain, suffering, lack, challenging, rewarding, and resentful.

On this mountain, where the tabernacle existed, you could have two different sacrifices: the olah sacrifice, which is completely consumed in flame before God. Or you could come here to Shiloh with the shelamin sacrifice, the peace offering, from the word shalom. The peace offering is eaten by those who sacrifice it, almost like a shared meal, almost like a feast between the person and God, a communion–an expression of connection. (p. 65)

Sacrifice is a way of communion, or Korban, which means coming near, approaching, and moving closer in the relationship.

This changed my perspective considerably. It is not losing something but moving closer to Someone. It’s not losing something; it is love. It is about detaching from one thing to attach to a greater thing. (p. 66)

In communion with friends and my Savior, I hear the greater thing and the better way. Anna, “lovingly detach.” I smile. I return to my study notes, where I rewrite my understanding of the word sacrifice to be “detached so I can attach to a greater thing.”

It is the hesed love again reaching out and helping me through. It is the perfect time for dinner with Chris, who speaks life into my shared stories. The notice and conversations from others point to this way of life. In communion, we all see this better way together.

Ann asks the readers this question:

“What do I need to surrender in one hand, so I can reach out to God and to people…and live given, live vulnerable, live cruciform?” This question is about the shape of the cross. The vertical reaching up to God, the horizontal reaching out to others.

I stare at the word “given” and write out the word forgiven. In order to give, detach, and be in communion with God, I know I need to practice forgiveness for myself and others.

What this looks like for each of us is uniquely different. Oh, the stories we could share over coffee or tea. Have the courage to know when to speak up, remain silent, and change your schedule to practice attaching to Him. I’m repeatedly discovering that reflection without change can keep us stuck. Pause, let your yes be yes, and be okay with no. Listen to words spoken and examine them. Do you need to detach?

Let’s climb our way up to the Tabernacle. What sacrifice will you bring?