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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% w* {2 A. D; g Heaven
1 N8 B! k& w% K The pebble is worn smooth
% _8 h" ^. B& ^9 K Made small over time
; j* ]7 P& n# H$ }0 h' j7 H" c A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
2 k$ w4 j4 x$ C" b) j! q A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
2 N. `9 C* ^* K  A7 ^4 X/ e; x An accidental offspring of a boulder
7 V1 @% n( j" q4 i4 {) r/ D' y! D But just a very small stone.
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) f: U1 P$ A5 l1 o$ Q/ A The pebble's place in our world
8 Y2 l+ j# P/ C5 t' f Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

6 f7 l: O+ g: y, m# V: Z' T The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
3 Z( s9 q* v# p  h! I Gently affecting everything in its wake
" s8 _6 q7 f" F6 k- X8 e( G) n" | Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
) L  J: w- z/ }" ^0 ]: y% [ By unleashing its unimagined power?
# n9 J0 ]+ x/ u Into a dueling force of action and reaction
, F0 P" Z) k8 N4 _) Z8 y Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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" L0 q5 B5 f* z  g7 M9 x Aren't we all pebbles?
# h- u. T% v5 a% W. ? Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
* J, Q& [9 y, ~) O Can never be measured in isolation
2 |% B; i# ?' O. i. D1 b6 o+ o on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
+ q9 e. @, o; b Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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) Y- g4 E/ S* Q/ L$ S0 p; u$ Y Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
3 H+ A6 M9 w! i4 }, p* |3 w! n Changes the course of the lives
: }7 u; `( U" m Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
, m1 {' ?1 Z" @: d# H# Q$ y& E% j) ^ beckon our lasting attention
/ t' E0 w. U# }- U We will gently leave this life
' ~, K6 v4 t6 O8 M& x- q% t With the knowledge that
/ ^) _+ }# r. ?$ i, K because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

0 G' O+ T6 d& L+ b Ross Rosenberg
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