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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/ c3 n1 p5 @3 K% t 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.

Heaven
( f* H3 t7 z. U( G, W The pebble is worn smooth
* R5 L, N6 ?* T% A6 s# [ Made small over time
, z8 t0 k) e1 ^7 |( d& F' f" q A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
3 x. w8 S. Q0 i3 }+ @5 J: l A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
% P: P/ n+ X3 D1 F; \+ T( {* X& b An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
7 T( @/ r4 h& b' F+ B: \3 m! @ But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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5 G; U3 [) }! H0 O3 a" D The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
. E- t: m1 C9 Y! ?2 Z Spiral outwards
1 o' f" n6 o, Q0 U; v Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
! @. C8 y1 H+ w  n4 w* ]+ `; h1 ~ Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
/ H1 V. D% j4 @6 O8 i  s/ s$ Q& A* E Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

/ X4 F2 y  |' k It is true then:
5 R2 ~  E, W7 d3 R4 J Our everlasting future
( K. m% o* U6 D! }4 `/ W Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
% u, g8 X0 s+ O1 B/ o Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
9 {3 V) ?# K% O# q3 J  [0 d( _ Not because of thoughts
: [5 c. \1 ]3 C+ S/ k. [7 X# J not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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  R8 a8 U; u' A1 ^$ P Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
* W; X- u! E# k; V* w Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
$ H  u. a9 k- V1 d2 R beckon our lasting attention
1 ?3 E  b3 g) n& P2 r7 R, D" M: U We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
& p  B9 a+ `" t# i% m# {9 p because of that one pebble
6 y' g  v0 O2 j: S1 w: u, o0 z The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
6 v( c  {! d0 m/ @( q 8/18/03