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Where Are You? · Backward Mutters Poetry Podcast

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  SPEAKER_00: You are listening to the Backward Mutters Poetry Podcast.
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  SPEAKER_00: Please visit online at backwardmutters.substack.com.
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  There you can subscribe via your favorite podcast player and
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  read the newsletter.
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  SPEAKER_00: I'm your host, Randy Edwards.
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  SPEAKER_00: Well friends,
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  spring arrived in my neck of North Carolina while me and my
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  wife were in Lancaster,
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  SPEAKER_00: Pennsylvania at this year's Square Halo Conference.
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  Square Halo is a wonderful two-day conference for those
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  thinking about how art and
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  SPEAKER_00: creativity intersect.
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  SPEAKER_00: It is a community big on collaboration,
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  and I am grateful for how they've worked to collaborate with
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  other artists and
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  SPEAKER_00: groups of artists across the United States and the world.
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  SPEAKER_00: As I was saying, spring arrived.
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  And one of my favorite things about spring is that the almond
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  tree on the grounds
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  SPEAKER_00: of the church that I pastor is now blooming.
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  This tree was planted in 2018 by some friends who heard my
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  longing for such a tree
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  SPEAKER_00: after preaching a series on Jeremiah.
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  SPEAKER_00: Our church's almond tree first bloomed in March of 2020.
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  SPEAKER_00: I cannot tell you how timely that was for me.
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  SPEAKER_00: As we entered the COVID pandemic,
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  SPEAKER_00: I was able to see a living picture of the Lord's promise of presence and
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  SPEAKER_00: faithfulness.
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  SPEAKER_00: That tree has been preaching to me through the seasons ever since.
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  SPEAKER_00: I'd highly recommend getting one for yourself.
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  SPEAKER_00: So how does this almond tree preach?
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  SPEAKER_00: Firstly, the almond is an early flowering tree.
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  It's one of the first trees to bloom,
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  and it oftentimes does so before springness has arrived.
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  The almond blossom takes on the symbol of a foresign of the
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  good that is coming,
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  SPEAKER_00: even though the present circumstances don't seem to show it.
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  SPEAKER_00: The almond tree makes several appearances in the Bible.
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  SPEAKER_00: The menorah,
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  SPEAKER_00: candelabra,
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  and the tabernacle in the temple was fashioned to look like an
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  almond tree with
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  SPEAKER_00: leaves and blossoms.
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  SPEAKER_00: The almond tree also makes an appearance in Jeremiah 1.
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  In Jeremiah 1,
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  we read that the Lord calls Jeremiah into ministry at an early
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  age.
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  Jeremiah questions as to whether he's worthy or old enough to
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  be of any use to the
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  SPEAKER_00: Lord,
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  let alone have anything to say to his people that they would be
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  inclined to hear.
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  SPEAKER_00: The Lord answers Jeremiah with a question.
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  SPEAKER_00: Apparently,
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  Jeremiah is having this conversation with the Lord in the
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  springtime of the year
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  SPEAKER_00: outside somewhere.
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  SPEAKER_00: And the Lord asks Jeremiah, What do you see?
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  SPEAKER_00: Jeremiah looks and replies, I see an almond branch.
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  To which the Lord responds,
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  You see well,
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  son,
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  for I am watching over my word to perform it.
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  SPEAKER_00: Now that sounds good insofar as we understand it in English,
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  SPEAKER_00: but embedded in the Hebrew is something more.
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  SPEAKER_00: The Hebrew word for almond is sheked.
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  SPEAKER_00: Jeremiah says, I see a Sheked.
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  And the Lord responds,
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  You see well,
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  son,
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  because I am Sheked,
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  watching over you.
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  SPEAKER_00: Right here,
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  SPEAKER_00: in this significant moment of calling,
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  SPEAKER_00: and right in the moment of doubt and a lack of confidence,
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  SPEAKER_00: the Lord responds to Jeremiah with a sort of a dad joke,
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  SPEAKER_00: a pun.
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  SPEAKER_00: I find that delightful.
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  SPEAKER_00: What kind of father is our Heavenly Father?
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  The Lord uses the almond pun to assure Jeremiah that just as a
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  child desires his
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  SPEAKER_00: parents' approval at something that they are undertaking,
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  SPEAKER_00: Jeremiah's Lord and Heavenly Father is watching approvingly over him.
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  And the beautiful thing is that whenever Jeremiah saw an almond
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  tree from that day
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  SPEAKER_00: on,
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  SPEAKER_00: he not only saw an almond tree...
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  SPEAKER_00: But he heard the Lord saying that he was shook head over Jeremiah.
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  SPEAKER_00: Now that'll help you.
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  SPEAKER_00: Today's poem is one I've been reworking since 2020.
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  SPEAKER_00: It's my Jeremiah 1 almond tree poem.
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  SPEAKER_00: I've borrowed a line from Eugene Peterson,
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  SPEAKER_00: who somewhere translated almond branch to almond stick.
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  He employed the word stick to try and get at the pun of shaked
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  and shoked.
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  SPEAKER_00: I borrowed it here in my poem.
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  SPEAKER_00: I hope it helps you as it's helped me.
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  SPEAKER_00: So happy spring.
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  SPEAKER_00: If it's not where you are yet, take heart.
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  SPEAKER_00: The almond tree is blooming.
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  SPEAKER_00: This poem is titled, What Do You See?
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  I loved you before I made you in love in the hidden place of
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  your begetting.
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  SPEAKER_00: The mission of your life comes from above.
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  SPEAKER_00: As my watchman, you'll speak my word spreading.
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  SPEAKER_00: Ah, but Lord God, who am I?
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  SPEAKER_00: Can't you see?
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  SPEAKER_00: I am just a youth.
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  SPEAKER_00: I cannot speak.
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  SPEAKER_00: Who would hear or listen to me?
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  SPEAKER_00: I don't know how.
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  SPEAKER_00: I'm not strong but weak.
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  SPEAKER_00: Ah, indeed.
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  SPEAKER_00: Do not say ah, do you hear?
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  SPEAKER_00: I'll put in your mouth my word of power.
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  SPEAKER_00: You shall say what I say.
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  SPEAKER_00: Speak.
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  SPEAKER_00: Do not fear.
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  SPEAKER_00: Though they beat, you'll remain my strong tower.
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  SPEAKER_00: But how will I know that you were with me?
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  SPEAKER_00: I said to myself as I walked along.
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  SPEAKER_00: Jeremiah, tell me, what do you see?
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  SPEAKER_00: I looked up.
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  SPEAKER_00: I see a stick of almond.
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  You see well,
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  son,
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  I'll be sticking around to watch you work my word for years to
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  come.
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  You watch each spring when this stick of almond reminds with
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  its blooms the sticking I've done.
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  SPEAKER_00: Remember this stick, son.
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  SPEAKER_00: I'm sticking around whether you work to plant, pull up, or tear down.
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  SPEAKER_00: You've been listening to the Backward Mutters Poetry Podcast.
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  SPEAKER_00: I'm your host, Randy Edwards.
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  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for listening.