| HOW HEAVY IS YOUR SACK OF POTATOES In Sunday school class the speaker brought a big sack of potatoes and a bunch of plastic bags. For every person we'd refuse to forgive in our lifetime, we were told to choose a potato, write the person's name on it, and put it in the plastic bag. Some of our bags, as you can imagine, were quite heavy. We were told to carry this bag with us EVERYWHERE for the next week, putting it beside our bed at night, on the car seat when driving and next to our desk at work. The hassle of lugging these potatoes around clearly showed what a heavy spiritual weight each of us carries. It was a continual reminder of how much attention we have to pay to the weight at all times . . . especially when we'd leave it in embarrassing places. Naturally, the condition of our potatoes deteriorated quickly to a nasty slime! This is a great metaphor for the price we pay for holding on to pain and heavy negativity! Too often we think of forgiveness as a gift to others, yet this example clearly shows the gift is to each of us as well! So, the next time you decide you can't forgive someone, ask yourself, "isn't my bag heavy enough already?" BACK E-MAIL |