Heaven

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Seven years ago I was asked by a friend if I was "religious and if I believed in God?" As a (formerly) practicing agnostic I quickly answered:"no." However, I defended myself by explaining that I lived my life according to universal principals of "right and wrong" (as I understood them). Because I believed that our deeds create a lasting effect on the world, I felt confident in my everlasting future. In other words, I wasn't worried about there being a heaven or not. I told my friend that when I die, I am banking on knowing that my impact on the world will be ever lasting. My "heaven" will ultimately be the creation of the the sum total of all my actions.

I will never forget my friend's response: he looked at me with glassy eyes, and told me how deeply spiritual I was. I didn't see it. It took five more years to see what he meant. Such was the inspiration of the following poem I wrote.
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Heaven
$ x1 O7 ^4 u$ d+ G The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
( [; h/ j+ K9 O2 n( J An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

: l5 f& Y" L6 V The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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) u4 v- \# C2 X$ U9 K# X$ H( v2 } The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
; Q. S1 s4 t0 T. s Spiral outwards
6 Z/ r/ A, F  d Moving far beyond itself.
4 }- S* |& r. I3 F+ P Gently affecting everything in its wake
& M  a5 \; G8 i" f" s0 B3 ]; a0 z Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
9 W) n2 s7 S( x8 I7 C6 y; V; Y Into a dueling force of action and reaction
$ N0 W  `! B) R' T6 X, g1 D Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

) {7 g, k+ i+ V  z6 u4 a; w Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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8 x& ]- J. y8 ]- ~) }+ u+ V2 S It is true then:
4 }. M) c* C5 Q$ K6 A Our everlasting future
" Z3 N- }% G, |  C Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
) [$ `. I) \2 h3 K Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
/ ^# T8 U) o% v) i: F- I2 R not because of well meaning plans
: L/ @) o4 ^! l8 ?" H But because of actions.
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$ o) v9 Y& f$ q- v8 |9 F& { Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
- s2 W! o: m5 s. z# w8 Y$ ?5 k No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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& E' l1 S; U6 B# v* r And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
. `2 X9 r) K6 } We will gently leave this life
$ m' q. N3 {( J& z- K! M With the knowledge that
; L0 Q! l# L; G because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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8 I. a/ S" \2 l And then we have heaven …

2 u6 V: W" m9 H% t5 r Ross Rosenberg
2 I2 s( `, e4 F- c: o6 p6 a: b 8/18/03