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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) w! I9 R& |# }% E* H 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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5 }. G8 l6 I4 y Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
" c) f# t! }0 k* o Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
0 v- `1 W* `0 Q/ O. q A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
6 x& a2 K0 C0 u9 ~# ^ An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

. C& M8 J- g; [- R9 r/ V# z& r The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
/ c8 `, `8 v7 |! V0 _4 s Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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! B8 }1 a. p! Z6 ~- u* P The instant the pebble kisses the pond
, }4 u+ g, ^" ]7 u/ }. D Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
$ Z, P+ B' {5 ]7 e3 s Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
& A* w% I* e, V* I! a$ }6 Y) r8 ~' o By unleashing its unimagined power?
7 H: U6 ~1 \, i8 k! Y! J Into a dueling force of action and reaction
  z3 R) w+ B1 A% N Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
; c5 ~; v5 @2 K" J( Y6 `' a& H Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
" O  ]0 w' |; w" [+ c8 I9 T1 j Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

5 T; N2 O2 O, C  R6 j' w8 F It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
# }( R  P0 _* _& U6 I+ x9 y0 G that leave unique mark on our world
6 z. h6 g. j; `# i* Z# N Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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9 G/ o3 _, N% n Our life's prayers our answered
( R( d- c( \" c3 F Because even the smallest pebble
3 w1 r3 c4 G( w0 S+ S& r No matter how seemingly insignificant
* l. D: b2 q% W: i0 C3 J% \" E Changes the course of the lives
3 _, U! [$ ~- d  i Of those we touch.?

; L& w$ v8 E4 k! m, M And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
* T7 |$ j$ O- r- R( o) c With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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  t4 I2 G# e- E1 L+ |* d2 n And then we have heaven …

5 L3 T( A. y/ U  l Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03