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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: z1 Z( @1 h: m; P 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
# u( f7 l" P/ n$ n Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
- q1 t* V. u9 ^0 m! t; I A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
1 ]  y0 w* ?1 Y+ N+ l Is neither understood nor appreciated
) o  A' O, _5 X: E6 K But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
9 ^* ?' d/ _8 F4 [! k+ \ Its signature of concentric ripples
) W8 n$ w# D# H Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
5 F& t) F# ]. p8 U* ]0 m Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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# d" Q# n& ^* n3 s* Y& g; p) m  y! a The pebble creates its worth and meaning
6 J6 [& R& o: r By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
/ ?/ O* J" y, s% x' z Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
: ~7 C: ?9 e- d# f% c" O; r Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
4 m3 R0 N  R, A5 U$ t- r, d1 o Can never be measured in isolation
2 `) p7 W$ E  }. @9 G; ~ on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
9 }1 i6 ~( M& ~* t: @# j Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
' ?2 o3 \$ C4 E6 ^4 ~0 j3 C0 ` Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
  Y. {3 o  c/ y& ^ that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
' X4 U* W$ J, ?/ L7 z9 D$ E not because of well meaning plans
, y8 p& ]$ A9 `0 V) w$ b$ |3 I* c But because of actions.

7 M/ r+ O; J* J# v# Q* c Our life's prayers our answered
6 H$ t1 M8 Y( ]! Z. o% [/ G, ~3 w7 J Because even the smallest pebble
; }8 U1 ^$ l: { No matter how seemingly insignificant
6 o* n3 H# d& y Changes the course of the lives
8 B  g- o- o; x) Z" z" f6 W Of those we touch.?
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2 E5 A; {# Y) H  l# S And when the icy winds of death
' u# p3 r0 _9 _: l beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
  j: }5 O. z. W  y: j3 u4 a because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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! j" U6 z9 X) c9 E, S5 g# { And then we have heaven …
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# S+ F: _& Y; m: D* U Ross Rosenberg
# O/ a6 y3 U. r6 ~- y$ v$ W4 W 8/18/03