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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) C& J+ x% K7 b 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.

# t% F1 P' d& m0 L Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
5 t9 K, m. g4 _5 ^% V# F  o# |. f4 F Made small over time
7 n9 w; J% W( @: S) n% V2 I A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
. ~8 I: Z, _7 U- X/ f% ] A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
2 }3 }3 B% W- m. m  n, m' t But just a very small stone.

; @3 S' P! {! t" P: g The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
# |/ v# u0 u* q2 k5 [ 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
Its signature of concentric ripples
. S2 a! f- u8 P# i: z4 Q Spiral outwards
8 Y2 ]8 i4 h+ { Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
- Y' e, P+ e5 v0 A: X2 k9 O Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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" ^1 e1 H" }. a" m; j( B The pebble creates its worth and meaning
# I: [6 \4 t+ ~8 M6 v, F3 H) \) |8 i By unleashing its unimagined power?
: h5 \% K' H8 ` Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

( L9 u' x# r: L  O Aren't we all pebbles?
4 w, }! C# C: ^' x$ t2 F Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
9 ?0 Z, z9 {/ j/ C That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
/ O) Z! I  t0 j6 X1 }; R on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
" V0 \) E; v, E; v, h- H9 y* K5 G Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
7 G1 r( G$ U4 c7 B  p: e( _ Creating ripples
2 v4 u8 C* d" ` that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
' p; _1 U' ~6 g/ ` But because of actions.
3 z* s, H0 R$ K) S6 d/ x
Our life's prayers our answered
/ @2 ]* q* U  V6 N+ m  { Because even the smallest pebble
1 ?+ E; n2 P  P. c$ X No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
+ E+ }* M7 `% E+ P) ^+ e* | We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
( [, E1 b# ^* Z! d The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
7 b9 D6 e6 N, M9 d9 I0 V 8/18/03