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.

) B3 y! c3 p! m1 M Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
! C- H* t& N8 T& |: w2 s9 o Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
* L) O7 p5 [3 t. p3 m5 B& J A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
$ M$ t! v) X$ v% _" t- \: z An accidental offspring of a boulder
: Y1 g6 K# R, F( _8 X- F' N But just a very small stone.
' p3 y  F- \9 J3 J- H7 s
- w, O; \' x" S3 g+ p The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
: i. c  A6 ^& _: o6 v: v" F But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
  d' |, n! O  V& i Its insignificance is transformed
, ~6 R* F8 f% \( I Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
3 J& P& c! C8 L. R) X Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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( j5 Y+ X  y5 } The pebble creates its worth and meaning
3 @+ P& {7 f, X" D By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

# [+ f, }/ p. R1 y Aren't we all pebbles?
, j  ?+ M) E, f Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
4 n! e1 V1 R& e+ X* X$ e Can never be measured in isolation
- ^# c/ Q! R$ {4 L on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
& R- f6 o( R0 [& Y/ p Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
3 S; c* ]) M3 r9 Z5 |7 S  s$ k1 C Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
) L. g/ x2 U0 d. v9 [ not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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  B3 w, J& L+ R! i1 t4 v5 @% ]- P Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

$ r4 w2 g! P* K/ C* q And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
. \5 d9 \+ E9 |) d) u" _% u With the knowledge that
% {" J, _4 I, t because of that one pebble
; M0 j4 y3 ~  {9 r9 m( d6 [5 X The world will never be the same.

6 b) h% X+ X- p, j( ^ And then we have heaven …
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" I  m4 a% D5 }, M: `) d3 f- y$ ? Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03