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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! d: ?7 _9 }( Q7 {, c9 N' x" 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.
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- u3 H! g$ i, s- C: A' x Heaven
# E- ~  [7 L1 p* P6 R The pebble is worn smooth
7 X9 |2 d1 g: Q8 t+ l8 z7 { Made small over time
, z) L* ]: t% S% }3 b6 c8 E A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
3 @4 Q5 M) c2 f A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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6 ^' `0 |4 ]! @ The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
* f, D. n- }: R1 m, b4 O' b 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
- `: [; c2 F, y Its signature of concentric ripples
9 L9 l8 T; [: @; a Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

9 @8 `5 s  ]. c& a; N1 p The pebble creates its worth and meaning
, b' O! I# R! R" d' B  v1 _' q; i By unleashing its unimagined power?
8 H' _7 U4 K; x: r Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
: G/ H# z) o8 G- u' j* J Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

) ^9 }& m8 J* S( p Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
' j# D( Y* w2 D2 H( j& b That who we are meant to be
  o0 ~& j& ?4 U7 ]4 w& ?( J Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
4 J& d3 N7 ?- }6 ^5 z Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
" L/ _; \% t0 |0 e that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
6 D  b& P: l1 z" N5 C1 y not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

/ z% W( j6 x- u  n, G$ f$ X Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
3 b. D$ q( W! a2 S( d8 {# d3 \ Changes the course of the lives
3 c" X- _& C; c5 C+ Z: [& L Of those we touch.?

! w3 O8 ^- y9 |3 `( D1 Y, |2 r And when the icy winds of death
6 ~& t, \5 A* \8 [/ a! R! f beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
, l) P5 S$ k' E: d# E+ |4 U! q With the knowledge that
; x  I/ f" `/ `# w because of that one pebble
6 q# |. ^$ x% E0 l4 A+ o The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …
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& c* H5 w) }* E4 Q Ross Rosenberg
. @! A0 j  @8 W% { 8/18/03