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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( H) c8 |% n8 l  l. v- S5 }, d/ z 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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$ g8 Q+ ^  J7 T$ j Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
7 F6 y7 T, q. m  n- I Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
  K; a- q) U! `8 H: @# f* q: l An accidental offspring of a boulder
0 v0 F; V' w+ @0 R& k But just a very small stone.
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# X. ^2 j3 x* x- [9 Z The pebble's place in our world
1 t! M6 |4 t! u( H' F Is neither understood nor appreciated
0 }% F( P# c1 O! D2 @/ t# W. f; ^ But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
. j9 {, k/ Z2 p; ^9 n% p  x0 V Its insignificance is transformed
; e2 L2 s( a; W4 R8 M Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

" P5 y3 j- u7 F4 \, A+ {* U The instant the pebble kisses the pond
( F, u; ]+ \0 n Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
) E/ q5 M* ~* |# P3 I* V Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
1 u5 p& z0 M- V/ |1 y3 g8 w2 g Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
/ H1 u, v; x+ h9 R By unleashing its unimagined power?
. v( S8 S* q: V8 W Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
/ i6 ]; I) @* D& _ Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

1 D8 T  K/ j: M4 u2 \. b Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
0 E4 M" g" \! F% I But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
3 Z( E% g  S/ R8 r. Z3 A Can never be measured in isolation
6 `, L% B/ H; o3 O; _7 n; K- u on a path into ourselves.

$ s) q- P+ H7 G' g- z5 j It is true then:
6 q& ~" F% w; d+ w5 g Our everlasting future
) ?! I9 j! g5 r- {; g. { Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
3 ]" V& ]& k9 k5 u/ T Into the pond of life
  E5 _  A+ \( l% a6 F' t9 f Creating ripples
8 G7 W: @, G. N- u: m& g6 Y9 U that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
+ O2 Q4 S3 D+ k Because even the smallest pebble
; p# A3 x* r) P0 t- a; e( e0 v No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
1 R& e$ m- y, B; v1 |8 \ beckon our lasting attention
  w, ]5 t6 J) f( J2 y- } We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …
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6 y, d! U9 N" t# m8 f1 A1 ? Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03