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.

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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0 P9 M9 \! t- T2 M- A- a) H2 H Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
; ^( }$ X; j, \ A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
8 b: |# r$ c& }0 C+ ?
4 [( ]( T- y: E, _ The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
9 ]+ I9 n! M3 Q' {, v/ N! N/ Y8 P But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

5 a' J2 Z' y  Z# C. c The instant the pebble kisses the pond
  F% {" F2 O" }5 M$ y+ n Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
1 o* n; ?  n/ e* q. g7 { Moving far beyond itself.
, w& b1 m4 _& k9 Z# @& r Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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! \; {2 A7 \# q5 K# }0 t! q6 l0 k5 N! | The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
; u# a6 Z- ^1 `- w Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
4 m# P* I0 Q5 u' z! e6 ]
Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
  `& [9 [9 W: N- E" H4 G, E+ i; w Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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* I/ S- B7 ]- V3 H! L" Z9 m It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
# y9 g9 s2 p/ {4 h" }' r2 d" @ Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
9 A0 B' V# ^. i* m6 @ Not because of thoughts
" H7 D0 p6 G& r) O7 m3 x not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
- S1 L- H- G% g' [ No matter how seemingly insignificant
) I& t& o* _; g# } Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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" x) u# y( n* Y; g And when the icy winds of death
3 J" [9 {0 }' p- C! ~" K4 V7 }6 y beckon our lasting attention
& d4 i, ]! ^! u( x, A/ H5 r/ O# G# z* I We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

! t* Y3 @" h  l9 F% d And then we have heaven …
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# r$ O, W1 u: l4 s* m& [3 G6 S3 C Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03