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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0 }0 x9 K. X1 S0 l: ]; C3 v/ T 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
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
/ d9 j9 H$ _) g3 w1 M) R A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
* K1 _% O) L: ^% L/ g An accidental offspring of a boulder
5 f- b4 @$ c! F' J2 z But just a very small stone.
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* F% O( O3 H  h; ? The pebble's place in our world
4 h% }" T8 g1 V Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
- {! F* S0 a" |* P7 g1 |; M  H4 ` Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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! ^* J( n  k: Y: K0 g* L4 g: i The instant the pebble kisses the pond
8 @  _: U; _9 R0 b; [8 R$ A Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

- m$ J8 |- w; c/ U The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
4 e% S3 d( s) s+ }2 e Into a dueling force of action and reaction
0 q+ V; J6 v4 U: }& T5 Z2 @" W' _ Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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  M; X* a/ @2 r$ v" r Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
: h6 N. S! z3 @1 S; b But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
* O' U0 H8 L" {, @0 e6 Y Can never be measured in isolation
. e4 }' `! u% |4 w) `0 a1 K; v, i on a path into ourselves.
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# S8 v! m' g: R% y) y% g. c1 V9 L* w It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
1 U! S- ^2 D! `. o* U Into the pond of life
* M: T# k! B4 d; L. W/ D Creating ripples
  S1 _8 |: C/ q that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
1 u) p1 Q' b& }0 F6 b, f1 I not because of well meaning plans
$ f# ]& Y+ b$ d6 h$ W But because of actions.
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  g6 ~. g+ x7 D2 z: D# C1 [ Our life's prayers our answered
/ w: y6 ?$ o$ ]6 C2 d6 Z: X Because even the smallest pebble
$ g, k' X+ {6 p, H No matter how seemingly insignificant
. u  D3 u' {5 f9 e6 ?) @, P Changes the course of the lives
% r+ h" Q7 b1 e- c. s Of those we touch.?
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3 Q6 M! i1 k% S+ M' L; b. i' M+ T And when the icy winds of death
( Q' t; _# S# e, O beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
1 \) @; S0 ^6 j, q! L# z With the knowledge that
2 Q% ^4 L& I$ a+ f because of that one pebble
$ \6 R8 e% r' O' J' q The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …
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. H. E  S4 X& a7 s$ n Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03