Years ago, younger and less wiser, I loved warning people that I never forgave and remembered every insult throughout my life and would have my revenge for every provocative incident done to me. Then I read this story which changed my attitude and taught me to forgive:

A kindergarten teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic bag of vadas. Each vada would be given a name of a person that the child hated, so the number of vadas that a child put in his or her plastic bag would depend on the number of people he or she hated.

So every child brought some vadas. Some had two vadas, some four while some had up to ten and more. The teacher then told the children to carry the vadas with them in the plastic bag wherever they went for a week.

Days passed by, and the children started to complain of the bad smell that came from the rotten vadas in the bag. Besides, those having five and more smelly vadas also had to carry heavier bags. After the week, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended.

The teacher then asked the children: “How did you feel, carrying the smelly vadas with you for a week?” The children complained of the trouble they had to go through having to carry the heavy and smelly eatables wherever they went.

Then the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game: “This is exactly the problem when you carry your hatred for somebody inside your heart,” she said, “The stink of hatred will dirty your heart and you will carry it with you wherever you go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten vadas for just one week, can you imagine what it will be like to have the smell of hatred in your heart for a lifetime?”

I am sure the children learnt a lesson for life, though I wish some teacher had done the same for me, and I could have saved all those years carrying dislike, hatred and grudges in my heart everyday.

Imagine what kind of a plastic bag God would be carrying if He decided to remember all our mistakes and wrong doings? It would indeed be a giant of a bag. But God doesn’t do that. His forgiveness is so great he forgives immediately if we ask Him. There is no plastic bag of our stuff He carries along and puts between.

If God can forgive, what fools we are to carry our grudges and hate, and burden ourselves with this unnecessary load. Come on let’s forgive and get rid of this stinking bag of vadas we have been carrying till now!
How big is your bag? Pick up the phone today during this lockdown, and start emptying the stinking bag today..!

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