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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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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) P% L, v) m+ F( A+ Y- L5 g) m Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
  ^+ n/ t6 ?  ^! a  O But just a very small stone.

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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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
2 \0 H4 S* U% j- Z4 i8 } Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
8 E( F0 k! R8 i- G8 w, Y: P Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
# R+ D  r8 N7 C$ d Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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3 |) `. k) D7 h( O7 i+ A, `" A. j The pebble creates its worth and meaning
# O! d5 S: Q; ]. z By unleashing its unimagined power?
0 R7 ?- S! f. k$ V Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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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.

  u9 p2 Z  R/ x# s2 T2 _ It is true then:
# ^3 ^& T' y  K# m; a7 H Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
* V% F9 N! @( D Not because of thoughts
- C4 \# e: m! ^( e not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

; [% T6 C* v. L. }8 [* \/ L Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
8 A+ l; P% F; O Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
0 F/ C# u" T2 |+ a6 m% |' u& r We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
+ r# M8 B+ C" W- H0 u2 v% { because of that one pebble
# J. e1 O* s$ Z! @" K The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …
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5 e" C. g0 z7 l Ross Rosenberg
. p! e  {9 F6 e" Z' { 8/18/03