A Story of Forgiveness ~ How heavy are your 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 refused to forgive during their life’s experience, they chose a potato, wrote on it the name and date, and put it in the plastic bag.
Some bags were very heavy. They were then told to carry this bag with them everywhere for a week, keeping it next to their bed at night, in the car with them and beside their desk at school.
The burden of lugging this around with them made it clear what a weight they were carrying around spiritually and how they had to pay attention to it all the time. Naturally, the condition of the potatoes deteriorated to a horrible smelly slime.
This was a great metaphor for the price that is paid for keeping past hurts and heavy negativity! Too often forgiveness is thought of as a gift to the other person but clearly the gift is to yourself.
Why carry the heavy burden and excess baggage of unforgiving?
Why make yourself sick by holding on to anger by not forgiving someone.
It doesn’t matter if you think that they don’t deserve to be forgiven. You aren’t forgiving them because they deserve it; you are forgiving them because you deserve it. You can choose to not let them live rent free in your head and heart, causing great emotional harm and a whole load of bitterness.
Acknowledge the pain and the hurt they may have caused you, then let it all go to a higher power.
All you have to be is willing to forgive and the rest is taken care of. Allow yourself the joy that will come into your heart, that’s waiting for you.
Make this your day to forgive!
Feel the freedom of letting go.
Amended version by Dr. Amanda Bowen
Original post discovered at Truth To Live 4
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The Final Analysis by Mother Teresa
“People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centred;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, may be destroyed overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you have anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is all between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.”
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