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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' l5 |+ ~5 A0 b+ m6 q; [1 K 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
+ X: _  L3 D- T3 [; L The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
6 L8 g; m1 m/ o. r- \ A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
/ P# h/ x& i4 n  _9 O A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
6 f3 P, M5 M3 \ Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
% i" I6 c% ^, j. ` Its signature of concentric ripples
/ H  M: b4 m5 ]" h/ L3 T Spiral outwards
4 w. u# J: c; B( A0 @" ^ Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
4 L+ E- \7 `' U- f0 h By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
7 D7 A1 W4 Q9 ^; z% S* Z3 J& W0 b Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
: U9 j3 C5 b+ q But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
& j# i5 }8 x  w' c Can never be measured in isolation
$ t8 {# t5 H9 l8 o: A on a path into ourselves.

3 U6 n# H& O  m0 r! H! g, t% g& n) L It is true then:
Our everlasting future
, F$ A& @: i7 \3 L' S Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
( t7 |* p0 ^; L3 F Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
# N( [8 y* v! }) _6 f Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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, W5 M+ ^" z6 z! f9 O0 P, f Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
( n2 A" A5 a/ _; t( }8 K$ i$ k2 z Of those we touch.?
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' n8 `7 C2 }, ]5 u$ z$ m, N* Q And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
' y+ U2 K1 N4 ? We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
: i& K1 ?/ z( O( l because of that one pebble
( F( T1 s/ j: X. S, x$ u The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
' k# _, V: h: C/ g4 n 8/18/03