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.
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Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
+ v# ^6 R) `$ }$ y% P# x A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
( J3 }* S# v" J, z. Y An accidental offspring of a boulder
% s# J# L: `8 W" b. K" ?" ? But just a very small stone.
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* r# [/ x3 w2 \$ ~" M( P& `' L4 j The pebble's place in our world
- N' k' j% C) J  g Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
! J8 L, [. g5 y, ]8 n/ { Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
4 ^8 W- ]! K" B6 u5 ? Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

2 }( z' }& z8 V. i# V) L+ @# m0 u The pebble creates its worth and meaning
; h6 p& j5 \9 w) ]+ j4 c& i By unleashing its unimagined power?
5 C1 D4 x7 T0 @" `5 U0 m- | Into a dueling force of action and reaction
) ^8 \! C6 r0 V/ [% a3 a Creating karmic energy
2 z8 T5 B+ M# @8 P8 v8 a6 X0 h Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
) Q+ S7 E+ \8 [! ?) C8 L Our everlasting future
3 u; u0 }! R! D, v6 ~# m" L Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
0 t  L. [4 J9 H2 t# b$ z not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
7 W% |, m3 c3 ?; y; _ Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
) b: y. f/ R2 t& h$ `8 L Changes the course of the lives
% |4 f' \, l6 d2 Y Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
8 F+ r5 _! X+ X- i1 g beckon our lasting attention
8 x$ h8 L* ?  N4 O5 h We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
9 t* ^' {9 W6 t; S! a The world will never be the same.

1 A. G8 H- w0 ]- ?$ T3 Z# c And then we have heaven …

% W& e, f; l+ x/ P7 o* e% M+ g( v1 ? Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03