宽容的心

随便

THE STENCH OF HATRED

4 \+ n& J* k. N% g7 R- w
A kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game.
& q# z2 J$ x& E7 l5 j0 y2 y" x+ U
The teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic
5 E6 O8 E. g5 G9 m! F8 [% k7 L
7 T6 e" q' k7 @. ?6 ybag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name

of a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that
( O' {. y6 o/ w: u$ L6 g, [
+ q' u' r- v/ w; I! ~2 F/ Va child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number

of people he/she hates.
, \% o/ f- J0 x7 Z9 _
So when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with

the name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some
5 n; p+ h' x8 K* v# ~' C3 N
, O7 t% A/ ?* z3 o: T3 while some up to 5 potatoes.

$ z/ P* u2 d8 w$ dThe teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes

/ j8 B( e0 g! i; q% u$ a% Sin the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week.

! h' p& y+ [. B3 XDays after days passed by, and the children started to complain
: N2 l4 B& F; |% F) \0 G' E
due to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides,

those having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1
" ~) y( A; W; I$ n
week, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended.
8 D$ S4 b% r$ E8 h- k
* F1 I2 p- r+ D/ KThe teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes

with you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and

- w; S. y* N' u# G) G9 n* sstarted complaining of the trouble that they had to go through
  ~/ R  [4 I0 ^- u+ s4 e  A* t
having to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.

Then the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game.

8 {& L" h: I7 iThe teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry
: V" o& m3 O+ t; l* d" `
1 j9 `0 ?; k8 u8 e5 J* @/ T( [your hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred

! x3 z$ R3 y) V; `; z; ]will contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever
' ?( Q8 a$ @- N1 R1 I
you go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just

  S4 y8 s+ g3 W% L$ {! H1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred

in your heart for your lifetime???"
. G% k3 y; I# ?8 m& n* {
% e8 W8 f6 x3 s# s9 [4 m3 G' @"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.