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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$ q0 a( B+ e& G0 \4 Y- X 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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( B5 q; @3 n) ^ Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
' g- W6 K1 U' b7 _. m2 c8 k. u Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
3 \  W! k" l3 K% I, K A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
( {# n  ]2 k3 q: o' L  {/ _; y- N$ e/ T But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
3 E- H, v6 {6 o' B1 y" G Is neither understood nor appreciated
# h9 ^/ d5 ~  F9 W But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
# z: W: P  {6 @ Its insignificance is transformed
4 H, t0 W* p. Y Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
2 @- r8 f* h# N% c. a6 y" E; \7 T Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
' v4 h; _) V0 Y1 Y3 a3 ~ By unleashing its unimagined power?
( [& Z) h+ [3 x+ K' X  f5 T- {; Y Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
" `  n, i  |2 K- _0 a( ~0 H6 P6 G Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
& g+ H; P3 y) R( J# `2 X# H7 h  f But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
( ?0 ^+ n2 F9 H6 v9 t" O Can never be measured in isolation
: R8 _! f: ^- `8 x0 F4 R" `$ w9 Q; T on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
+ B  ?$ f0 n( W% L' E; z3 ~0 @  | Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
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Not because of thoughts
5 h' N; P( [5 W8 k- H2 } not because of well meaning plans
; d) K' @+ `8 Q- f% \ But because of actions.

% N( G1 X' t2 T& L) p1 Q$ U! B3 ? Our life's prayers our answered
. q' L$ S0 j8 P Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
% l" U+ W$ R" w9 Q9 [1 M) H8 H Changes the course of the lives
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
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
3 M. r( E$ c: h# O* K2 [ The world will never be the same.
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4 R% C% ?/ Z% o" A8 |; R1 x0 g And then we have heaven …
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' k, d. X7 P& e( S$ |' k7 _ Ross Rosenberg
' C+ h8 a& g  U8 B- W. L$ A 8/18/03