Forgiveness

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged.

Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.

Forgive,and you will be forgiven."

A friend sent me the following illustration: One of my
teachers had each one of us bring a clear plastic bag
and a sack of potatoes. For every person we refused to
forgive for whatever they did, we were told to choose a
potato, write on it the name and date, and put it in
the plastic bag.

We were then told to carry this bag with us everywhere
for two weeks, putting it beside our bed at night, on
the car seat when driving, next to our desk at work,
etc.

The hassle of lugging this around with us made it
clear what a weight we were carrying spiritually and
emotionally, and how we had to pay attention to it all
the time to not forget it and leave it in embarrassing
places.

Naturally, the condition of the potatoes deteriorated.
This was a great metaphor for the price we pay for
nursing our grudges. Too often we think of forgiveness
as a gift to the other person while it clearly is for
ourselves!

So the next time you decide you can't forgive someone,
ask yourself, Isn't your bag heavy enough?