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THE STENCH OF HATRED ) r# R, t3 Q5 V% b
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A kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game. 1 D7 N4 x }% M0 Q# k4 M
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The teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic ; ^7 |# U+ C# T( z9 c |
$ y# ^# m% @ A+ b& Nbag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name ) W! ?: f3 f6 {7 \% k
, j. D# G8 h6 `3 K1 vof a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that / n, m' E1 i, u) V, g# b; f' H
8 s' ^1 j* m* L$ @8 La child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number
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of people he/she hates. ; p& t% ~/ E O; r2 ?# J
5 `6 K5 ?9 @0 z3 l; _So when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with
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the name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some 6 B# J2 t; q/ a; m
. j$ @# U% l: T3 c/ [3 while some up to 5 potatoes.
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The teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes ' _- B. a6 N1 D' l
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in the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week.
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Days after days passed by, and the children started to complain ' }1 T6 r0 n7 u+ _5 V" Z# @+ K0 n
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due to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides, + m/ v" R8 f1 T4 f
( ?: ]: `6 u% ^& Bthose 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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with you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and
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" q( P: \' Z- Q! lstarted complaining of the trouble that they had to go through 2 i+ b7 V( x9 x
' F) h/ o6 ~5 r* z: g" Hhaving to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.
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' O2 H2 ]" r! q% J& b) eThen the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game.
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The teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry " F$ _& g' b' u4 [1 ^4 W) E
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your hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred
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will contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever
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/ I) B( c) P9 I: b- Wyou go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just # H* u+ w( D5 G1 V. ?; w# ~ `
( w2 k+ H9 o8 ]$ z1 W3 R1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred " `4 i" y: W1 X* s1 Q6 K
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in your heart for your lifetime???" / I" G/ G- G8 N( N8 O2 N N
+ H- e2 \6 `& E0 T" k+ ~2 }+ ]) M"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else; & n' ^+ d& U$ I6 L; X
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it is something you do for yourself.
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9 \, O( K0 k8 J, ~* w* u+ s0 E9 {Give yourself the gift of forgiveness" |
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