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.

: o8 }8 ~: Z) @. ~3 Y5 n4 c 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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Heaven
  n7 X( @) w6 H/ f! K- E The pebble is worn smooth
/ {- R0 A6 t% s7 I Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
6 P( o' O6 O$ R6 c9 H- ] An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
3 T( u. t# L* M Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
' o- @3 _4 l: ~! Q& ]( w Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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$ R: n0 j5 K4 h0 q# {1 w1 {* g The instant the pebble kisses the pond
- z. E  j# O# C" ^, a Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
) b; F( s" t( N8 n0 [ Gently affecting everything in its wake
" h7 Z. q# W7 a5 |/ i0 g$ R- L Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
+ u% r# x2 V# U: ~4 M( G( i$ y) ? Into a dueling force of action and reaction
0 o7 j& j4 I) F7 H! d5 t* ]2 }2 H% Y Creating karmic energy
$ z3 F' I5 f5 _$ a Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
7 d0 U( \- o4 g* { But ultimately recognizing
, b+ ^6 `3 n! b; }9 e That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
) A* S, X& |" I- v. V. a on a path into ourselves.
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4 L7 ?/ h7 y9 i It is true then:
8 |( l4 O& q$ w$ S Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
5 A; `3 i) R6 q6 J$ K% @ Creating ripples
7 }4 f7 s# A6 b: h' r: a, p. w that leave unique mark on our world
4 a* O8 j( n" d0 _$ I Not because of thoughts
+ D  T; ]4 h! n- a not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
+ V; }( T2 p, o9 @. g$ W0 c Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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+ e, n1 D. f, c* J2 c4 N' L And when the icy winds of death
0 P  [. g/ U. j* y2 y beckon our lasting attention
: N2 }( z# @& C6 b  @ We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
$ O0 _" M7 d) l3 g5 O( g The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …
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& M, Q0 F$ \; c( l Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03