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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* {: o! Q" c% N+ K  H5 J7 m5 E* V 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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0 |/ N7 o5 z; V: e% X Heaven
4 g, H5 ~. L  x, X4 ?4 d6 e- h The pebble is worn smooth
/ I$ X- M8 N/ Q& A5 Y Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
/ o/ l$ U% G( K  C3 X A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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+ D' K2 e% V6 a' \  O1 Z: [* { The pebble's place in our world
! F3 z5 X% \5 ]7 V+ }% [8 G) a$ [$ f Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
4 Q; S" x# J. B' N4 P Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

# n' a# w* a% g8 h( n" _ The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

; O; Z& b; \( @& q  S The pebble creates its worth and meaning
" S2 T. q. }+ |$ B6 X By unleashing its unimagined power?
' n! k: R% j) V7 x$ @ Into a dueling force of action and reaction
+ m  E7 ?3 C+ j  n; t9 @* } Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
. a% i# K( B& q0 I Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
' X! Q  v% o: P4 L! J) S That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
8 g: H- l/ e) @& C1 A on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
2 ~7 o* R. b  F Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
& \6 a- N- {! w/ h Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
7 l8 F6 ~4 V6 t( { Not because of thoughts
' A0 y5 w. k. N not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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# g( K# ~! ~$ }* j Our life's prayers our answered
: H! F# E% C4 p+ V6 e/ a$ @6 \ Because even the smallest pebble
$ c+ J9 }7 B6 w  v7 j6 _; ]* H No matter how seemingly insignificant
6 a6 K, u% f  e( Y: A1 o Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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* U( z$ o1 t8 o/ d4 d# @ And when the icy winds of death
  B  _9 p' E7 \( y( ?5 r beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

  q( Y$ N  f2 @ And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03