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THE STENCH OF HATRED 7 ]: ?( l4 F( W* F' ~* @
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5 W! D1 A* G% N5 W5 u0 m& xA 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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of a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that 9 g$ I' s# R% c, \" u: i/ G& T
& M M) f1 \; _) T; F3 m, @a child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number 8 G3 A0 o/ [% l$ N+ {! m
5 i! |5 y5 N+ h+ J# E+ Sof people he/she hates.
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So when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with
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- A2 F6 W+ b" O4 M5 ?0 Wthe name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some
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7 @' _& M. F2 P) S3 while some up to 5 potatoes. 0 J1 ?' P) K' W7 O; m
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The teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes
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1 S- B o! C: a4 z4 l8 y; uin the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week. ) N* r! b$ x9 T1 Z) U3 Z
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Days after days passed by, and the children started to complain : o& x; Z' k' E6 O
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due to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides, 1 M7 d' q$ V! z' }7 W$ z4 A4 U7 H
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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. 8 b6 y9 C, |6 `' Q, I6 Z$ d6 Z
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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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# B+ K% }# J% E1 Lstarted complaining of the trouble that they had to go through 6 \8 y' S M7 o/ D* \; l
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having to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go. + D/ B# \- `2 f+ D& @4 p. K' r& o
+ \ |/ b# P: D! P1 z$ M6 a7 aThen the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game.
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1 F" N9 t+ H* {( g" O( G5 e$ m! tThe teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry
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7 A6 c f1 u5 K5 Q yyour 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 7 }# z( M) Y! a8 u% ^
- q+ r, |& B2 V9 O; M2 ] d- g% f4 xyou go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just ; ^3 v8 r0 P' k$ x
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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; 0 u; O: \- f0 ?/ ?2 q) V
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it is something you do for yourself. 6 u' A, f F% |& J
5 K: P: |7 p! m6 aGive yourself the gift of forgiveness" |
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