Walking Stick Reassurance

Just finished reading Eugene Peterson's- 

 Run with the Horses.

It has challenged me to read
 the book of Jeremiah.

In the first Chapter, Jeremiah, 
the prophet to the nations, 
learns that before he was formed in the womb,
the Lord knew him, 
and before he was born,
he was sanctified- set apart. (v. 5)
 When he was concerned 
about his young age,
the Lord said:
I'll send you, tell you what to say, 
be with you, and deliver you-
do not fear. (v.7-8)
Jeremiah gets some details about his job-
and learns that he will bring news
 of judgment tempered with grace and hope.
Then comes the part 
Then the Lord asks Jeremiah what he SEES?
A branch of an almond tree, 
perhaps a rod.
(going with a stick in this play on words)
The Lord says- You see well, good eyes.
For I am watching, wakeful and ready,
to perform my WORD,
and bring it to pass. (v.11-12)
The almond tree is the first tree
 to bloom in the spring, to come awake.
An almond branch becomes 
a reminder that the Lord is STICKING 
with us, to make sure His Word STICKS
it out to the end.
His Word will come true.
Jeremiah plays here with 
the similar Hebrew words:
shaqed -almond
and 
shoqed-watching.

Last year when we visited 
Bethel Lutheran Church in Claremont, NC.
both John and I were given walking sticks.
Mine is the short one 
and the one on the left was given to John.
When the older gentleman who made them
 saw how tall John is,
 he decided he needed a taller walking stick.
A few weeks later John 
received the one on the right.
Our terrain is fairly flat 
and we don't use the sticks much for walking.
But, I store the sticks right outside
 the door we leave from each morning.
Almond wood or not,
 I believe they will now serve as
visual reminders.
The Lord is sticking with me,
and He is watching to make sure all His Words 
come true.
A pretty awesome way 
to start the endeavors of each and every day.