This is a long, but worth the read:
(FYI- been busy recently with church and work. I should be able to write more soon, plus post pics from vacation)
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There was a certain Professor of Religion names Dr. Christianson, a studious man, who taught at a small college in the western United States.
Dr. Christianson taught the required course in Christianity at this particular intitution. Every student was required to take this course his or her freshman year regardless of his or her major.
Although Dr. Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence fo the gospel in his class he found that most of his students looked upon the course as nothing but required drudgery. Despite his best efforts most of the students refused to take Christianity seriously.
This year Dr. Chrisianson had a special student named Steve.
Steve was only a freshman but was studying with the intent of going onto seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular, he was well-liked, and was an imposing physical specimen. He was now the starting center on the school football team and was the best student in the professor's class.
One day, Dr. C. asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him.
"How many push ups can you do?"
Steve said, "I do about 200 every night."
"200??" That's pretty good, Steve," Dr. C. said. "Do you think you could do 300?"
Steve replied, "I don't know ...I've never done 300 at a time."
"Do you think you could?" again asked Dr. C.
"Well I can try," said Steve.
"Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I have a class project in mind and I need you to do about 300 push ups in sets of ten for this to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it," said the professor.
Steve said, "Well....I think I can....yeah I can do it."
Dr. C. said "Good!!!! I need you to do this on Friday. Let me explain what I have in mind."
Friday came and Steve got to calss early and sat in front of the room.
When class started, the professor pulled out a big box of donuts. No, these weren't the normal kinds of donuts, they were the extra fancy BIG kind with cream center and frosting swirls. Everyone was pretty excited, it was Friday the last class of the day and they were going to get an early star on the weekend with a party in Dr. C.'s class.
Dr. Chrisianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, "Cynthia do want to have one of these donuts?"
Cynthia said, "Yes."
Dr. C. then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve would you do ten push ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?"
"Sure." Steve jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk. Dr. C put a donut on Cynthia's desk.
Dr. Christinanson went to Joe, the next person and asked, "Joe do you want a donut?"
Joe said, "Yes." Dr. C. asked, "Steve would you do ten push ups so Joe could have a donut
Steve did ten push ups, Joe got a donut. And so it went down the first aisle, Steve did then push ups for every person before they got their donut.
Walking down the second aisle, Dr. Christianson came to Scott.
Scott was on the basketball team and in as good condition as Steve. He was very Popular and never lacking for female companionship.
When the professor asked Scott if he wanted a donut Scott's reply was "Well, can I do my own push ups?"
Dr. C. replied, "No, Steve has to do them."
Then Scott said, "Well, I don't want one then.
Dr. Christianson shrugged and then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve would you do ten push ups so Scott can have a donut he doesn't want?"
With perfect obedience Steve started to do ten push ups.
Scott said, "HEY!! I said I didn't want one!"
Dr. Christianson said, "Look, this is my classroom, my class, my desks, and these are my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don't want it. And he put a donut on Scott's desk.
Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just tayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration starting to come out his brow.
Dr. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were beginning to get a little angy. He asked Jenny, "Jenny do you want a donut?"
Sternly, Jenny said, "NO."
Then Dr. C. asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten more push ups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn't want?" Steve did ten.....Jenny got a donut.
By now a growing sense of uneasiness filled the room. The students were beginning say "No" and there were all these uneaten donuts on the desks.
Steve also had to really put forth a lot of extra effort to get these push ups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning get red because of the physical effort involved.
Dr. C. asked Robert, who was the most vocal unbeliever in the class to watch Steve do each push up to make sure he did the full ten push ups in a set because he couldn't bear to watch all of Steve's work for of those uneaten donuts. He sent Robert over to where Steve was so Robert could count the set and watch Steve closely.Dr. C. started down the the fouth row. During his class, however some students form other classes had wandered in and sat down on the steps along the radiators that ran down the sided of the room. When the professor realiszed this he did a quick count and saw that now there were 34 student in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it. Dr. Christianson went on the the next person and the next and the next.Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to comlete each set.Steve asked Dr. Christianson, "Do I have to make my nose touch the floor on each one?"Dr. C. thought for a moment, "Well, they're your push ups. You are in charge now. You can do them any way that you want."Dr. C. went on.A few moments later, Jason a recent transfer student, came to the room and was about to come in when all of the students yelled in one voice, "NO! Don't come in!! Stay out!!!"Jason didn't know what was going on Steve picked up his head and said, "No, let him come."The professor said, "You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten push ups for him?"Steve said, "Yes, let him come in. Give him a donut."Dr. Christianson said, "Okay, Steve, I'll let you get Jason's out of the way right now. Jason do you want a donut?"Jason new to the room hardly knew what was going. "Yes," he said. "Give me a donut."Steve will you do ten push ups so that Janson can have donut?"Steve did ten push ups ver slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down.Dr. C finished the fouth row and then started on those visitors seated by the heaters. Steve's arms were now shaking with each push up in a struggle to lift himself and the force of gravity. LBy this time seat was profusely dropping off of his face, there was no sound except his heavy breathing; there was not a dry eye in the room.The very last two students in the room were two young women, both cheerleaders and very popular. Dr. C went to Linda, the second to last and asked, "Linda do want a doughnut?"Linda said very sadly, "No, Thank you."
Professor C. quietly asked, "Steve would you do ten push ups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn't want?"
Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow push ups for Linda.
Then Dr. C. turned to the last girl, Susan. "Susan do want a donut?"
Susan, with tears flowing down her face began to cry, "Dr. Christianson, why can't I help him?"
Dr. C, with tears of his own said, "No, Steve has to do it alone. I have him this task and he is in charge of seeing that everyone has an opportunity for a donut whether they want it or not. When I decided to have a party this last day of class, I looked at my grade book. Steve here is the only student with a perfect grade. Everyone else has failed a test, skipped a class, or offered me inferior work. Steve told me that in football practice he must do push ups. I told Steve that none of you could come to my party unless he paid the price by doing your push ups. He and I made a deal for your sakes.""Steve, would you do ten push ups so Susan can have a donut?" As Steve very slowly finished his last push up with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 push ups, his arms buckeled beneath him and he fell to the floor.
Dr. C. turned to the room and said, "And so it was that our Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross, plead to the Father, 'into thy hands I commend my spirit' with the understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, He yielded up His life. And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten."
Two students helped Steve up off the floor and to a seat, physically exhausted, but wearing a thin smile.
"Well done, good and faithful servant," said the professor, adding, "Not all sermons are preached in words."
Turning to his class the professor said, "My wish is that you might understand and fully comprehend all the riches of grace and mercy that have been given to you through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He sprare no His only Begotten Son but gave Him up for us all, for the whole church now and forever. Whether or not we choose to accept His gift to us, the price has been paid."
Wouldn't you be foolish and ungrateful to leave it lying on the desk
