Shannon R. Hess

Today read with me: Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there also will be your heart.

And

2 Corinthians 3:17 where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Maybe you’re like me, and when you read that first one you internally ask yourself- where is my heart? Is it buried in this iphone or trapped in Facebook land – and maybe you’re seeking a change, and real freedom. Keep reading and you’ll see I was too.

I decided to start being more intentional about looking around while driving/riding in the car like when I was a child (thankfully that was before smart phones and tablets). I recently read something an author wrote about how we are loosing our creative thinking ability, joy and connection with life around us because our brains are being rewired by our smart phones. It made me sad, and hit home with my heart. Because it is true. I won’t even go into the fact we are raising a generation of children who will never understand this and need constant right now entertainment- but I digress, so on to the point-

I do this thing while driving/riding in the car, I never even realized it until last week. I see street signs with names I love and I say (almost always out loud) “ohh I want to live on _____ street.” Then sometimes if I am the driver I will even pick out my favorite house on that street. I think I do it with city/town names also.. ha! So while driving last week I passed “bluebird road” and I actually heard myself do it and got kind of embarrassed, but that passed because I also felt like God was smiling at me almost happy and amused by this funny, childlike wonder silly habit I have. I stopped and asked myself have I always done this, and realized yes I have. Here are a few roads I have fell in love with over the years…

Magnolia Ave. – Pine St. – Passport Ln. – Rose of Sharon Rd.- Hope St.- Bluebird Rd- Willoughby Ln (even if he was a scoundrel 😉 ) Rose Lake Rd.

I could go on and on with my mental list of beloved road names, but I won’t because believe it or not that’s not my point- ha! and if you are still reading, you may be asking “shannon, is this important?” my answer is probably not. But what is important is coming up next. I share this in hope that you will also make an effort to be more intentional about not allowing your hand held device to boss you around and that you strive to look for the creative beauty around you and most importantly you remember that we are all created in our creator’s image. We were created to create. Now, that may look different for you. Maybe when you drive down Magnolia Ave you notice the way the waxy, dark green foliage shines in the sun and the way the big white flower blossoms make it pop with beauty and you think “that would make a beautiful picture” or maybe while walking down Pine St. you hear the wind whispering in the pine needles and a wind chime on a far off porch catches your attention and you start to hum or dance along. For me it was always words, the more descriptive the better. Poems or stories about the people who may live on those beautifully named streets or in those big or little towns. I have always felt the power of God in words, and in what things are named. There is beauty in our differences, and as long as they always point us to Jesus and we all keep moving forward we will be okay.

Take some time and ask God to show you where your heart is, and where you need your creativity freed. He will answer, because He is faithful.

Lord, I thank you for these readers. I thank you that they allow me to express my creative heart even with it’s flaws and they loyally read along. I ask Lord that everyone reading these words is blessed by You God and that it’s stretches them to seek first your kingdom, and to dig a little deeper into what real freedom looks like! In Your name I pray- amen