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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/ O# l0 f  E  L1 ?: u/ D# ^ 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
$ }. ~3 G. \" H& n The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
: ~0 p# c% R) x7 H5 \ A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
- u( A' j5 W- ^2 d# J& p An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

, V8 p" P4 Y0 M8 H4 b The pebble's place in our world
+ q1 n6 L0 ^: e8 B5 R Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
8 M, x$ g# a3 B" H Its insignificance is transformed
, f9 T7 b, J2 ~6 X$ D Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

4 p' {5 u# Z3 j# r! ?$ B The instant the pebble kisses the pond
# E9 j1 c) ^" H: y  O3 Q) T Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
' T9 L" g$ _! O. n( e# \$ ? Moving far beyond itself.
4 L2 S3 j1 U7 f! ~ Gently affecting everything in its wake
2 k  j3 f9 _0 P. {5 Z Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
5 u: s& ]" m0 E Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
+ {7 k8 K# o% e5 F/ M, P5 k4 _' x# { Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
1 c. h8 B; |0 ^8 C) b Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
2 _$ p4 c) R1 Q Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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. g, O7 E/ R. H* ^ It is true then:
# @5 w1 k6 ]3 P; r/ j8 { Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
/ {3 V  a4 I% u3 B% \ Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
- a) ^" G; i% w% S" r( x* l that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
  Q6 F6 Y! n# k: E not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
# k( L9 t3 u2 O$ H7 \ Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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! ]3 P. I; Y# S And when the icy winds of death
% {8 B8 H: B& m2 h& h beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
# z" ~6 M, K6 n# o) `8 `' g- ~ With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

6 b3 W, e8 F7 f4 z% [ And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03