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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6 d; t2 f4 y* X5 Z$ i" r 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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Heaven
& ]- u3 l  a! y: R The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
( L" `# |/ X1 }- r6 P) v7 o A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
6 n! Y0 D. _7 `) t( m7 c A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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% g9 |" F7 l# A( x0 R! d The pebble's place in our world
- x* U/ Q; ~) ~ Is neither understood nor appreciated
: q& ?4 d0 W( \' Q8 J- ?9 T- I: ?( N But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
* C, F8 G. w( T 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
( \8 W6 g9 @2 Y! }; } Spiral outwards
- U1 g+ h# i" k+ _. K% w( M! C Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
" ?* p/ k5 `3 e Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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  r$ w5 ~# m) F4 a1 s0 W Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
/ A+ R! I: ~7 Z5 W That who we are meant to be
( k! F1 g" Z5 A3 F5 z  ?9 H: S Can never be measured in isolation
: W/ S, B! v# p: | on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
% P7 e- d/ M, ` Our everlasting future
5 H2 [5 R& T/ w+ h  _ Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
3 O8 T9 a& q- F Into the pond of life
4 j( W$ A6 _# {& j, H2 ?5 n Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
9 |8 s. `* z5 c Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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6 B* f+ W  s: }0 n3 s, g Our life's prayers our answered
2 U$ K4 y/ [- A" i Because even the smallest pebble
5 W: x5 i7 J+ U7 A1 H3 W No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

- A) W% @! j  D0 L8 l6 T0 e' h; E And when the icy winds of death
9 D7 x- Y& N! ?0 d! d/ B beckon our lasting attention
/ |* w9 t& O9 t' e, w We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
: d  K: B; R* I8 }, w3 f The world will never be the same.
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+ ~( u, a" w, x( v5 q And then we have heaven …

3 T3 C2 Y. v1 n Ross Rosenberg
8 [9 l4 e) ~. S 8/18/03