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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3 B+ S( P: @8 @9 J# G 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.

Heaven
" a* a8 h8 D4 T& y7 A' H( Q The pebble is worn smooth
' b. j# u  a- w+ G7 B) G" A Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
" N  \) w, C* W* C A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
+ r6 m5 s1 T: u; j: z An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
' O9 Q& N0 S+ W/ e9 t, [$ q3 Y1 N Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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/ u; }) i* @$ n6 h$ O1 X The instant the pebble kisses the pond
6 X( d+ r2 g  U% I Its signature of concentric ripples
, y! p: _" |4 m, E- f* s- J/ V& D2 _6 z Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
: U- D) u" }* p4 R; t8 I2 o1 H4 J Gently affecting everything in its wake
* D: _* g# E2 P7 B7 A Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
/ X! }) Q" x0 p3 B By unleashing its unimagined power?
+ a  p  h% n) D  g! a& K Into a dueling force of action and reaction
7 c* l* `0 g6 C2 p. h Creating karmic energy
( V- o( w- h5 o- D Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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* c; D9 q& R6 S3 i/ O Aren't we all pebbles?
: a8 @& q2 W* P5 F4 o! H Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
9 \" u9 U4 f; `: {4 m3 k  f That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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3 N) ^0 {2 }2 y, u7 ]5 s It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
1 o4 u* C+ U, P7 E Creating ripples
; M( [& Q  ?5 v+ L6 g7 A that leave unique mark on our world
% s3 K  Q& s* @3 c9 p  F Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
% f1 n( K& l! a+ u  E But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
6 |, }. L- O- c, T Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

# n/ r( j  F7 b  |& a3 Z6 p4 w And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
% \! c0 g; [" q4 D& }- w/ _1 f We will gently leave this life
+ A8 [4 v9 p: A6 Q% G1 `! x* `4 z With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
. r- s. l& g- _) S# g- A3 J$ m( i The world will never be the same.
" U4 M0 o. G' m" `8 v' b* g$ C- I; v
And then we have heaven …

% l; q0 P' b, a0 E& G Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03