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THE STENCH OF HATRED ( F F3 `0 M( ~. k
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0 [8 B0 K4 W( p' P+ L7 x' ?A kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game. $ ?7 B4 A$ \5 ]" G, s/ g0 N, {
0 x' \0 Y8 S' T- c& H: iThe teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic
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3 ]- ?; \# |1 R+ _6 q0 Vbag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name % N5 |/ m7 v, v
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of a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that
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2 M6 r2 N' Q/ ^, d' j" ba child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number : O( p# L y* j; u7 s
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of people he/she hates. 7 M& o, ^8 e7 L' k
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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 [( A3 X* r7 t7 `, G: B4 x
3 I: d6 ?' u: l0 d% M" p n3 while some up to 5 potatoes. - {1 k& \% [$ O1 F8 |! Y
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The teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes ; ^* L2 K. L8 `/ N
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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
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due to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides, / C, u. z( @# N" n% v g g% f
v( r* t3 o3 ^# x1 `3 B- b2 uthose having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1 8 M" F8 w; Y' C: I
$ C% v( f$ }& X8 z% a/ q9 uweek, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended.
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; p( m6 j, n, Q" F2 RThe 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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& ?- `; _! J. e& A2 Dstarted complaining of the trouble that they had to go through . T7 E. h3 V T3 \1 k/ k z) ?
O/ J% P* }. [. j" ]8 |having to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go. * z7 _# A6 @4 ~. k/ |$ I
. i; n3 e+ J, ]' U! GThen the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game. # a: C3 b0 ~2 b) _; T4 y
7 w& H) ?" ` z7 J# v- lThe teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry , F5 |: \# L) e- |$ i2 Z
. q" \) V v( S) tyour 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 ( P5 P" x T/ L1 Q. v
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you go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just
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( K1 o) S) D& s2 f+ b- e1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred
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in your heart for your lifetime???" $ } Q$ `/ H, X; G4 i$ E. N; F
+ X4 f/ Y3 N$ J/ C1 B& L e"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else; ! J9 X( i+ J+ S2 r' x
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it is something you do for yourself.
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Give yourself the gift of forgiveness" |
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