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.
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9 K: b! W. n( V7 q9 v3 Y 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
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
& @7 f! w6 J9 p$ k A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
) @: @3 D. E9 u  X* O A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
" g+ n6 r4 f+ A! C: `; Q Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

- I8 Y; V: X0 }# C8 r/ T The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
  C; P3 p# j$ _. v8 d: P Spiral outwards
. D% o: d. x8 I3 N4 X9 ` Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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' b5 H/ d. ?5 y0 x/ C! e5 q0 E The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
% I# r/ p6 x& l Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
7 A# L/ `( v8 m! a6 q Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
: c' U% `& S/ f2 Q* p+ w Can never be measured in isolation
/ t2 u  q0 ^( d: i& [ on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
! L, R% J2 _% Q8 o8 V1 k& { Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
% l% p$ x' K0 \5 A( F: ]5 I Into the pond of life
, Y% _$ S& l' W1 J: j7 ~ Creating ripples
; L# W. B$ a% |8 h- `" r- E8 P that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
/ K  n& a/ J  w( g3 H8 M0 P9 X not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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( R+ R, G0 B6 t Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
! ?/ k( S4 P- V* ~; X No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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3 h0 R  V+ q* E! b# @3 D And when the icy winds of death
4 M# f7 A4 B8 s0 X beckon our lasting attention
2 w6 X$ r, p: b2 j" _* G We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
$ f! |7 y5 {8 O1 O, p* ]* ~2 r0 G* z1 P because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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+ v$ R* h- P% o: W And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
* I0 o7 L9 i9 n- B* F 8/18/03