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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9 ?3 E. a3 u6 B, p6 p 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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' Q# K3 G3 r3 d9 L! R  d1 k Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
' Y0 A. I' e* O" |. b Made small over time
! U& R6 P  y) ?& @. e) g5 p; r0 W A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
6 \. B2 E* L- \* f/ { An accidental offspring of a boulder
' Q" o# P- N6 ?1 v But just a very small stone.
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7 K; D3 v! Z0 |( I6 F3 U7 N The pebble's place in our world
/ y' \& U! z; {) _- \ Is neither understood nor appreciated
, n. M, V3 Y+ Y" _3 @: ^+ d But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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; `" O. f+ G- x# a& @; T/ ` The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
( D' s% S3 ^5 L" t Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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0 M6 w  n6 X% O  r- @/ ^/ [ The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

' r" l, {3 o7 \ 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
on a path into ourselves.
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5 g- G# z/ F! s4 ?0 {5 N  {: V It is true then:
Our everlasting future
7 K" I2 H$ V9 Z$ G7 i& W, F) v4 j Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
" I' O. N1 |$ }3 K, m that leave unique mark on our world
) Q+ R8 k. X, W5 ~" J' W# l Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
3 ~6 \1 A6 X! @9 p Because even the smallest pebble
6 `3 m; O3 Y. R' z No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
  t! H7 B  G3 H& P, `4 j3 h beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
, d. h$ x( r% y4 T because of that one pebble
8 L, e- z- x/ h6 F5 f) s5 A% p The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …
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7 k9 I3 d6 p+ h8 f7 v; W* `: R Ross Rosenberg
; e/ T3 L/ t2 u) c& H# \. g% } 8/18/03