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THE STENCH OF HATRED % v+ H- O% B" x: K5 \' ]4 i
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A kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game. . z% m- K9 X6 D( Y. ~
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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 + U: y) I! C5 Q4 g$ D5 L+ L
3 ]3 ?0 K! O! h" @% Ga child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number
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# w. G% c7 q3 J' |of people he/she hates. 7 S0 R2 N6 f# }
; d" s$ }+ v" w0 m9 ^0 hSo when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with
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$ I+ X" Q1 O) z- e r2 t. |1 R3 J$ ]the name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some & P9 S; @% D5 A6 P7 r
s0 e7 B# ^3 ?( i( n# R C/ X3 while some up to 5 potatoes.
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' W8 {8 |; i! K2 F9 m5 r5 w8 P" BThe teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes & m4 t6 p- I7 T( I. Q5 L" l9 h% W
% _$ U! l/ v. t5 N" |$ kin the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week. ) ?% C9 L3 M$ R& ^9 a6 `7 w2 ^8 g
3 s- N2 N Y+ G( U1 v7 I/ lDays 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,
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those having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1
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week, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended.
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The teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes
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2 n p# O& |3 [4 P& P; Dwith you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and : M3 N- }) @/ C6 U4 W
3 @6 Q6 E. \: s- o: \: ?% y/ tstarted complaining of the trouble that they had to go through $ |: H* m% S" P5 S" P
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having to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go. 2 e* m" D4 _8 |: O% S) L# j1 z
6 ]0 {3 ~+ Z: ?- y7 w. WThen the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game.
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' k$ q, d2 n% I# ^The teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry
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your hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred 4 @: h2 X- B6 w0 R
: F' x# E( E5 X- r: c+ Lwill contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever
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2 x2 l4 |, t' hyou go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just
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" D" O8 x% h$ z) s9 b+ k1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred 0 |0 K$ X# @8 j5 Z2 |
, K( O1 E, U6 i+ ]4 @in your heart for your lifetime???"
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"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;
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it is something you do for yourself. ( B7 z% T$ _5 W% L# {8 a
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Give yourself the gift of forgiveness" |
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