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THE STENCH OF HATRED 7 g$ l; B' _( S
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A kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game.
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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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Z# L% k0 W# Z- o) }6 S3 r2 ^of a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that
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a child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number
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2 |) p) r$ L8 W Y0 Tof people he/she hates. 1 P2 E U+ V- @$ |
- v [' R. [$ V" HSo when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with 9 [% Z! C& j+ ^) R
1 S2 }' H8 Y/ G8 T- Y/ Bthe name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some
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4 `7 k: N* O1 @- N1 V, T3 while some up to 5 potatoes. , Z% N% B: v1 H
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The teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes
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7 x) N; e, v9 O! {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
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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. % K5 p$ c8 l6 @8 J+ W7 H1 Y
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The teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes 3 n- [( A% @& z, g* H* H2 ]1 F
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with you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and
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started complaining of the trouble that they had to go through : D' E; @" F7 \: P
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having to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go. " I$ g$ r) h, x- h/ Q6 V6 U/ y
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Then 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
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: D$ S# n1 }/ X( myour hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred . c: y; w& U6 Y* G
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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 6 ] U7 n2 q6 Z3 n2 j4 A$ h
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1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred
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in your heart for your lifetime???"
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"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else; ) d5 @; _' O3 Y% f
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it is something you do for yourself. % P' }& P0 R; u# Y5 t7 N: T* g
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Give yourself the gift of forgiveness" |
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