Want a Donut?
>
>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 or her 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 freshman, but was studying
>with the intent of going onto 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
>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. 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. Now 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 Cynthia can
>have a donut?"
>
>Steve said, "Sure," and 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. And down the second
>aisle, till 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 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 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 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 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 wandered 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 push ups. 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 picked 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 then started
>on those visitors seated by the heaters. Steve's arms
>were now shaking with each push up in a struggle to
>lift him against the force of gravity. Sweat was
>profusely dropping off of his face and, by this time,
>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 doughnut?"
>
>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 the 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 Saviour, Jesus Christ, on the cross,
>pled 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 Saviour Jesus
>Christ, who spared not the only Begotten Son, but gave
>Him up for us all for the whole Church, now and
>forever.
Charles Mims
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