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.

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.
8 N- @+ W3 u! ^1 g7 {
Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
6 t' ]/ \( D& w! R$ n* x% U: \ An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
0 w/ C0 M! \, T4 j% t& [  x Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
$ G6 S0 z; `% F$ t  p+ O$ M Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
* B& {- c9 @4 @ Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
1 o+ r2 X+ c+ A; j6 _% [+ S
1 c1 g2 @9 B$ Y! i! M+ s* F The pebble creates its worth and meaning
1 F9 {$ h' a0 c) I6 Y By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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4 X- ]8 T2 l  g9 { 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
" G) a, u! f% z1 c) f0 K# x' R on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
Our everlasting future
0 Z& o* g3 P1 l2 T$ g) P. r Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
7 n1 h! {: w4 `) X( v! t% K& H1 G+ Q Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
" F; X4 a; d, @! }. `' o& ? Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
1 E3 K8 D" X* } No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
/ t; w* A2 F' m  D* k% ]! ~, |2 h Of those we touch.?

. A! D0 I5 ?+ a! O And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
0 M$ ~2 w5 Q. `7 g1 ~/ ^: U5 [ We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
$ j5 Q' R; _$ }1 ^7 f because of that one pebble
3 _# V" q$ G" M5 g1 S# R The world will never be the same.

" D5 z2 T* ], W5 ` And then we have heaven …

9 F6 x; z, Q) i3 y/ Y' \9 g Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03