That's a good one, Rhonda.

Phil.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rhonda Partain" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, April 27, 2006 10:46 AM
Subject: take it or leave it on the desk


> A friend sent me this story illustrating  the love of God!
> Message
> 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. 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 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. 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 pushups 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 pushups?"
>
> 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 pushups so Scott can have a donut he doesn't want?"
>
> With perfect obedience Steve started to do ten pushups.
>
> 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
> pushups 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
> pushups 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 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 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 pushups 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 pushups very slowly and wit h 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 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 pushups 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 pushup, with the understanding that
> he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 pushups,
> 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
> 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
spared
> not only His 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?"
>
>
> -- 
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