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.

" |( [/ `/ e1 _) F7 f& j  m. s. S3 H 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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$ A5 M: O" a1 V" b Heaven
7 D8 Y- {$ }! n- o1 v8 B; M1 D The pebble is worn smooth
( T& T# ?7 m& p  V# o- n$ b Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
+ D9 i' U/ {2 j  U An accidental offspring of a boulder
9 _/ N# D- n: L! c! m$ \' N But just a very small stone.

; M' X! j! v% E# X5 H The pebble's place in our world
$ U, t$ H. v+ J9 d3 U; {8 W Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
: k- d% q. x. ~0 D( z Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
) G* q& O- c5 X; @* Y/ L6 y Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
9 _- F& z) L* K( W8 K Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
+ k! |. k7 l# ]6 q% {; ^3 z
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
+ Z$ R( }4 Z! i3 Z! s By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
0 s: r: k4 B4 ?' }2 w8 ]- R  _ Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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0 @- r- L  M; ?  M5 }8 e( K4 ]. o Aren't we all pebbles?
- F, V6 Z' e2 \, A- E/ H Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
) c) \0 H( d3 [/ v9 h  L+ V That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
, d# R; s9 W& m; u+ A" c on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
Our everlasting future
& ]$ A6 C4 h* x  T' W" y Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
' m/ B! V$ L; j8 }/ K2 m Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
5 b, _& X5 f+ K8 {0 F that leave unique mark on our world
) }9 }6 ^  M1 g, ]0 X$ ?: |" A Not because of thoughts
  E, |. Q+ l7 d not because of well meaning plans
: v2 s3 e6 ~, M; J+ {( c2 G& h But because of actions.
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) l( j: z( S9 p0 m4 E6 l9 X Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

& a9 v; v- j$ n& W6 l+ Q7 b And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
& C: [* d, O% A# T5 F The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
) l& C% W, U$ A 8/18/03