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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, p. b/ Q) B# S 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
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
7 q" [! ~8 ?% {  X2 s A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
3 E0 t7 d7 s$ Z$ l2 F3 f A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
" K0 B8 k7 D& F; I( i An accidental offspring of a boulder
: A& W+ g- x( G6 q/ d5 c! u+ H But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
" R  {: L/ {" I# @' U But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
3 X# |5 d! c6 A/ I/ K$ J3 Y$ O Its insignificance is transformed
, F" u* w' u( G! L$ ] Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

7 P: b$ e( ~# Q, i The instant the pebble kisses the pond
2 |4 e% ?$ v# @% A. r( T Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
8 Q1 v$ @" ^9 c Moving far beyond itself.
0 v  v6 l$ S4 V" l1 f Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
: w$ B' Z) p+ ~8 D By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
4 |4 Z7 {  S0 n& V, M' e( M& W' I Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
# K4 }- t8 o( w, g! l4 s0 q" M But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
3 P5 q3 e7 P2 w1 `! h2 ^ Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
  _! U9 r! B- f% T( B" m: C+ `+ p8 D" n Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
2 l% x* b- X8 ^8 T Not because of thoughts
3 m, z6 V, Y8 _0 I not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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( `& n" j  y* t Our life's prayers our answered
( b5 c" m, [  f- _& c2 m Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
) p- `* `' {/ h6 }* I Of those we touch.?
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+ n# C3 a* D+ t' y And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
3 w# m! X3 B  ^- U; \1 q# S6 X, J# j With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
0 @9 i+ F" e4 A2 ^+ B# k+ w: W The world will never be the same.

8 R1 T9 T, |. z2 b4 u% i. v And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03