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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$ F  v3 y% o) Q" ?3 r+ j 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.

2 y" N7 l1 A& u3 b Heaven
$ p' M) [* Y6 u, s+ ?6 j The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
# w- h) Q! X% H, k: c8 C2 u A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
0 o& G" A" I& \- }9 B But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
- z1 r  w; }( Q& }  N Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
6 W' S+ K/ G9 { Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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8 J$ J5 i# M8 X- Q" g. C The instant the pebble kisses the pond
6 W  r/ C4 `# r9 _7 q* ~' D+ z Its signature of concentric ripples
( c; P9 t. q  ?* {3 } Spiral outwards
% E, i# N6 z3 i* Z& A, e8 j Moving far beyond itself.
& ^5 _8 u. T  g Gently affecting everything in its wake
3 Z! A, z2 I8 O Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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1 N7 H& j( B+ n4 Y! e  d. N/ J, H The pebble creates its worth and meaning
" [6 R& d6 j2 ~ By unleashing its unimagined power?
$ H# X& \' Q: o Into a dueling force of action and reaction
$ T( ]# ^1 o1 y3 n- I Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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1 P) Z8 I6 v2 i2 r" \ Aren't we all pebbles?
& r: ?5 g' w; T& G6 w' m Feeling small and insignificant
& y; {7 z# D5 `! l But ultimately recognizing
& X& D4 p2 h+ x! @9 v$ c That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
# l. F  u, ]2 D6 s6 | on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
Our everlasting future
1 K  V% B- t, p+ W Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
1 r) i8 u# z5 ^# v: ? Into the pond of life
& S5 @! i6 ]( a3 S' u% b# ]' w Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
' K# \8 b4 m) g# \, I7 h. _ Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
) C& H: s: U: k, C2 r8 V) b: } Because even the smallest pebble
: N( G- [4 H( V- {# b, X No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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/ @, t3 R1 ?! [5 G And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
" z  d, K6 U& l We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
( O3 j  K5 Q1 F because of that one pebble
- w8 l- O) n' c8 X* R  b, ^ The world will never be the same.
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% w4 e& J2 `! l' M$ V  a6 @: `( g And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03