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THE STENCH OF HATRED
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, f6 p% J2 w2 H* G! mA 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 ! x* M2 F# S4 u+ f; R& e/ K4 F
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of a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that
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9 u+ G0 {8 i& P# n" P7 r% ha child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number 9 J/ ~5 j; ^+ q( O3 m; @6 W6 Q7 W
# N/ i( `8 C9 q3 N0 @1 a/ g/ m+ @of people he/she hates.
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4 Q ^9 d8 B; [So when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with & u8 d' ^4 g& v! P! `2 {
; [' W9 F5 H- P" `2 j' j3 w- c% \$ Uthe name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some
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3 while some up to 5 potatoes.
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# @( p4 B, Z7 v3 EThe teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes ) J" d* U& f/ ]' X) ?- W7 ?* r& D: O+ [
! | N( D( t0 {! bin the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week. : _! o f8 D% v3 O
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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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0 U% y" u$ s0 n1 G/ L9 y& f" x. v1 [those having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1 6 ^9 ^/ E0 R$ Y9 v* {/ Z
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week, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended. 4 Q; e$ ]* A8 }
7 D* ^$ B' W1 M$ B6 EThe 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 4 T. o" P$ O3 q0 U
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started complaining of the trouble that they had to go through
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having 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. & g- B% N1 G7 Z. j% z
1 R* }5 t3 |% {/ C3 s% V% p0 J- NThe teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry ' ~; t- ~9 S) y& K5 [4 R% ]( f
" z6 }7 E! N, Q/ J2 myour hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred
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$ M& |5 ? h" g0 e( ^will contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever 9 C$ e1 w3 h8 n9 Z, h& M
' I" ?1 g% f- Qyou go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just
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+ g3 C! C8 N% d g& M+ R1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred 5 t$ [4 v3 L# h/ r8 _8 Z C0 O/ H
$ I/ ^% c" H: Kin your heart for your lifetime???"
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& I$ G+ ~) @4 W" M- i"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else; 1 l: O Z8 Q. N$ u" o
5 Z n" E! L# `4 t( f Cit is something you do for yourself. 2 c7 |2 O6 A$ P( H: A3 Z$ S; ^; X3 Y
- r$ d9 g1 m4 ~" ]Give yourself the gift of forgiveness" |
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