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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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
$ t" c  I& D0 |) X* U4 W: } The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
& m) z9 i+ L& O% p A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
: x/ ^2 H! l$ w( f Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
0 C, Y4 j7 _% W% X Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
4 m4 W" w8 s0 r1 I! W& } Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
$ l# S5 K1 `% ^* d+ H+ } Moving far beyond itself.
+ k7 h, v, [" z: R& y1 ~, Y; e Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
+ w# d. U+ k! X; G By unleashing its unimagined power?
2 b$ B" y9 s, v/ _6 V. | Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
0 {( I! ?- Q3 P0 {, E& E7 b* i7 v4 Y! V+ m Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

8 }' w3 i" W! o& A( T Aren't we all pebbles?
# r+ |; F# F* k: o Feeling small and insignificant
! I2 _% E8 K  m) U But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
1 L2 s+ W  O3 E7 p Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

! `8 [$ ]- ~1 \2 j' r It is true then:
Our everlasting future
# h) l6 v# n: f# z: V. p- b Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
9 i5 Y8 |  e0 H/ w8 j$ L% j Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
7 {9 O( T3 H) W" ^$ O Not because of thoughts
. Z& N1 V6 e% [5 X) y0 a 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
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
3 D" K( H. R8 z0 f, j- D9 T/ |  G1 S Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
5 R* z* X+ Y$ K; F6 }/ G beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
1 R( x+ t% u( {2 w! P$ q. Z The world will never be the same.
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* U# b( g4 `! s9 z% L) w& q' D And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
: f8 {! M0 K# {. H0 Q, P5 F 8/18/03