Forgiveness

Terri(SO) · Post by **Terri(SO)** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 11:27 am

A Sack of Potatoes

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 refuse to forgive in their life's experience, they chose a potato, wrote on it the name and date, and put it in the plastic bag.

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

Some of their bags became quite heavy. The hassle of lugging this around with them made it clear what a weight they were carrying spiritually, and how they had to pay attention to it all the time, to not forget or keep leaving it in embarrassing places.

Naturally, the potatoes became moldy, smelly, and began to sprout "eyes".

Too often we think of forgiveness as a gift to the other person, and it clearly is for ourselves! To forgive unloads what would otherwise become a heavy, rotting burden.

~ Author Unknown

I think the message here applies to the forgiveness we need to give ourselves for our own flaws and idiosyncrasies, problematic as they may seem at times.

Loretta Ann · Post by **Loretta Ann** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 3:43 pm

Good post Terri,

Tis true what you have said.

Beauty · Post by **Beauty** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 6:59 pm

Hi Terri,

That was wonderful!!!

Beauty

Virginia · Post by **Virginia** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 9:07 pm

Terri,
Simply a wonderful story and so true. Can you imagine what would happen if a teacher tired to literally do that today - The lawsuits would make national headlines! It is really falling on the parents to teach these types of lesson to our children.
Virginia

CJ · Post by CJ » Sat Dec 11, 2004 4:06 am

Hi all,

Terri,

Does a bucket of French fries count?

Seriously, that was a great little parable. Thanks for sharing. I've been working on lightening my own load for a while now.

Love,
CJ

Elizabeth · Post by **Elizabeth** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 9:14 pm

Terri,

What a wonderful anology. It puts into visual spacial terms a concept that is so hard to explain sometimes. I titally agree with what you have posted.

I am not sure who told me, but I remember it clearly. They said that as humans we have no way to "feel" love or hate. The only way we know that someone loves us, or hates us, is for them to communicate that to us. And we need to hear it all the time because our ability to feel it is limited actually hearing it.

I ask you right now, do you actually feel any of the people who may dislike you, hating you? Perhaps thousands of miles away? NO, you don't, and you dont feel love that way either.

What you do feel is your love or hate for others. You can fill your life and mind with hate, or you can fill it with love. It is totally up to you. If you do not want to fill your life with hate? You have to forgive. So I think of forgiveness as a totallly selfish act.

Thanks again Terri, great post.

Love always,
Elizabeth