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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" f6 W& j2 W# Y9 _& a 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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" K' Q. b; ^2 i; N Heaven
7 V7 y' k2 ]; q2 t! M7 [2 | The pebble is worn smooth
4 Y' l; @! P! g# F; n Made small over time
+ R1 [' m8 Z3 h6 J A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
$ |: V: A& x, O6 r But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
6 A6 M6 h  i5 K0 |/ V6 u( J/ y9 x But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
4 S( E" \8 [# c: J, T) l Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
& D1 J; {: p0 _8 w/ J Its signature of concentric ripples
# w/ Y5 B0 M% S* p/ t2 t$ z Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
' ~8 D. \; y7 y2 u4 i( l$ N Gently affecting everything in its wake
& [* q0 d( n+ H1 X  ]5 [ Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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1 {; |& a, x. i& ~: x. }  ]8 | The pebble creates its worth and meaning
* w% b5 Q5 C6 K! _8 H By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
) n1 q6 ]* c2 M+ Y- x Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

9 l3 ^$ R" R, n( ]% k' [& O+ O Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
5 U) D9 d2 t. G- f  l2 }8 F% Z That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
' n$ u+ o; O+ }( |6 K/ a5 h" i3 ~ on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
! g  G( y' Z/ d2 U- s8 Y! J Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
- I# I1 p, ~& D" a, E Into the pond of life
$ b8 s9 }* P* T Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
. J. d  i, A9 x" y- p/ X not because of well meaning plans
, @) l+ y2 L( S0 i6 o0 ] But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
5 d, e7 B. i0 U# c2 _  q6 R Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
* K+ _* E( e" ~+ @1 U) b# H Changes the course of the lives
# ?; V; e: c" W) q0 k Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
' A1 P, L% \/ c1 s0 B/ g$ T% R0 H With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
( Q$ K% v  S4 B4 Q: R8 q The world will never be the same.

% w' i! O" e, P% l3 Z1 c And then we have heaven …
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$ q, X4 d7 @9 i, z. |% g% N7 R2 } Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03