“ Do not seek to discover or discuss the evil in others, for the attempt will tarnish your own minds.”

 

A teacher once told each of her students to bring a clear Plastic bag and a sack of potatoes to school. For every person they refused to forgive in the life experience, they were to choose a potato, write name and date, put it in the plastic bag. Students brought their bags the next day and some of the bags were quite heavy.

 

They were then told to carry this bag with them everywhere for one week, putting it beside their bed at night, on the car seat when driving, next to their desk at work.

 

The hassle of lugging this sack around with them made it clear what the weight they were carrying spiritually, and how they had to pay attention to it all the time to not to forget and keep leaving it in embarrassing places. Naturally, the condition of the potatoes deteriorated  to a nasty smelly slime. This is turn, made them unpleasant to be around. It didn’t take long for each of the students to figure out that getting rid of the potatoes was much more important than carrying them around.

 

This is great metaphor for the Price we pay for keeping our pain and heavy negativity ! Too often we think that forgiveness is a gift to the other person !

 

Forgiveness is a gift to Our Self.