LadyDy
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Registered: 08-2004
Location: Down to Earth
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 Don't leave it on the desk
There was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr
Christianson, a
studious man who taught at a small college in the western
United States
.
Dr. Christianson taught the required survey course in
Christianity at
this particular institution. Every student was required
to take this
course his freshman year, regardless of his or her major.
Although Dr. Christianson tried hard to communicate the
essence of 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 students refused to take
Christianity
seriously.
This year, Dr. Christianson had a special student named
Steve. Steve was
only a freshm an, but was studying with the intent of
going on to seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular, he was well
liked, and he 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. Christianson 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. Christianson 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. Christianson.
'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 set s of ten for this to
work. Can you
do it? I need you to tell me you can do it,' said t he
professor.
Steve said, 'Well... I think I can...yeah, I can do it.'
Dr. Christianson said, 'Good! I need you to do this on
Friday. Let me
explain what I have in mind.'
Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the
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 centers and frosting swirls. Everyone
was pretty
excited it was Friday, the last class of the day, and
they were going to
get an early start on the weekend with a party in Dr.
Christianson's
class.
Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row
and asked,
'Cynthia, do you want to have one of these donuts?'
Cynthia said, 'Yes.'
Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, 'Steve,
would you do
ten push-ups so that Cynth ia can have a donut?'
'Sure!' Steve jumped down from his desk to do a quick
ten. Then Steve
again sat in his desk. Dr. Christianson put a donut on
Cynthia's desk.
Dr. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and
asked, 'Joe, do
you want a donut?'
Joe said, 'Yes.'
Dr. Christianson asked, 'Steve would you do ten push-ups
so Joe can have
a donut?'
Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut. And so it went,
down the first
aisle, Steve did ten 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 do you want a donut?'
Scott's reply was, 'Well, can I do my own push-ups?'
Dr. Christianson said, 'No, Steve has to do them.'
Then Scott said, 'Well, I don't want one then.'
Dr. Christianson shrug ged 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 stayed
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
coming out around his brow.
Dr. Christianson started down the third row. Now the
students were
beginning to get a little angry.
Dr. Christianson asked Jenny, 'Jenny, do you want a
donut?'
Sternly, Jenny said, 'No.'
Then Dr. Christianson asked Steve, 'Steve, would you do
ten more push-up s 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 to 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 to get red
because of the physical effort involved.
Dr. Christianson 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 all of those uneaten donuts. He sent Robert over to
where Steve was so Robert could count the set and watch Steve closely.
Dr. Christianson started down the fourth row. During his
class, however, some students from other classes had wand ered in and sat
down on the steps along the radiators that ran down the sides of the
room. When the professor realized this, he did a quick count and saw
that now there were 34 students in the room. He started to worry if
Steve would be able to make it.
Dr. Christianson went on to 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 complete each set.
Steve asked Dr. Christianson, 'Do I have to make my nose
touch on each one?'
Dr. Christianson thought for a moment, 'Well, they're
your pushups. You are in charge now. You can do them any way that you
want.' And Dr. Christianson went on.
A few moments later, Jason , a recent transfer student,
came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled in
one voice, 'NO!
Don't come in! Stay out!' Jason didn't know what was
going on.
Steve p icked up his head and said, 'No, let him come.'
Professor Christianson 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 on.
'Yes,' he said,
'give me a donut.' 'Steve, will you do ten push-ups so
that Jason can have a donut?'
Steve did ten push-ups very slowly and with great effort.
Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down.
Dr. Christianson finished the fourth 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 against the force
of gravity. By this time sweat 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. Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and
asked, 'Linda,
do you want a donut?'
Linda said, very sadly, 'No, thank you.'
Professor Christianson 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. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan.
'Susan, do you want a donut?'
Susan, with tears flowing down her face, began to cry.
'Dr. Christianson, why can't I help him?'
Dr. Christianson, with tears of his own, said, 'No, Steve
has to do it alone; I have given 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 th e only student with a perfect grade.
Everyone else has
failed a test, skipped class, or offered me inferior
work. Steve told me
that in football practice, when a player messes up 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 buckled beneath him and he fell to the
floor.
Dr. Christianson 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 o f 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 spared not 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?'
Share this with someone. It's bound to touch their heart
and demonstrate
Salvation in a very special way.
--
Beautiful words spill forth from these fingers.
Pick one up and decipher its meaning
Like a wild creature they are elusive and fleeting But if
you can catch
one it will bless you deeply Make you smile, and warm your heart Knowing
that somewhere out across this great nation I am
wandering.
And while my feet wander here and there my heart is on you and my thoughts are too.
Quentin Griffin
Without a deep burning desire of our own, we will be
ruled by the
desires of others."
--- 
P.S. I Love You
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