宽容的心

随便

THE STENCH OF HATRED

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8 l6 w* X4 f: h3 o( k4 g; SA kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game.

The teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic
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bag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name
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of a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that

a child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number

& A9 E4 t, H  N1 a" x$ `4 Hof people he/she hates.

! K7 s# u4 n$ b5 {: c# R2 QSo when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with
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& q% x* Y* k+ f1 M3 X0 X5 O/ Sthe name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some

4 a1 }& P2 T" v3 while some up to 5 potatoes.
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8 \, C' t& ]6 yThe teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes
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: ], o) w+ h# ^; H& rin the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week.

% H" I/ ?! }1 fDays after days passed by, and the children started to complain
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due to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides,

5 `4 \* C: E/ Hthose having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1

& o" ?9 m) x& D, a1 Nweek, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended.
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1 C8 Y* Q. ^3 VThe teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes

9 J6 [/ f( P) ~- F" y3 w) \* `with you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and

6 }2 Q3 C8 z% X1 y1 X$ Rstarted complaining of the trouble that they had to go through

, `- Z2 S# e% V9 t6 `$ r0 L" Ahaving to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.
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Then the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game.
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3 ?8 B. W! p6 n6 wThe teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry

  J& x+ v. q1 m+ v% h! Nyour hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred

will contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever
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you go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just

1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred
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1 k1 h1 O0 j" r3 u7 E' m7 Jin your heart for your lifetime???"
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9 F9 s- C+ l% P2 C"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;

it is something you do for yourself.

Give yourself the gift of forgiveness"

connie

The implied meaning is simple but profound.