[Ohio-Communities-of-Faith] FW: Don't Leave it on the Desk

Wed Jun 9 12:29:24 UTC 2021

From: Larry Perry [mailto:larryperry at performancepress.ccsend.com] On Behalf Of Larry Perry
Sent: Wednesday, June 9, 2021 8:11 AM
To: mmoore11 at kent.edu
Subject: EXT: Don't Leave it on the Desk

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Letter from Larry

Wednesday

June 9, 2021

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Good Wednesday Morning Everyone:

As a former college professor, I often tried to think of ways to teach 

points to my students. However, today's story is one of the best illustrations

of how to get a very important point across. It is a little long, but well

worth the read especially the end!!!

  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 not hing 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 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 sets

of ten for his 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 doughnut?"  

"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 doughnut?" 

Joe said,"Yes."

Dr. Christianson asked, "Steve would you do ten push-ups so 

Joe can have a doughnut?" 

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 doughnut?" 

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 doughnut 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 doughnut 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 doughnut?" 

Sternly, Jenny said, "No." 

Then Dr. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do 

ten more push-ups so Jenny can have a doughnut that she doesn't

want?" 

Steve did ten....Jenny got a doughnut.   

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 doughnut. 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

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 push-ups for him?" 

Steve said, "Yes, let him come in. Give him a doughnut." 

Dr. Christianson said, "Okay, Steve, I'll let you get Jason's

out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a doughnut?" 

Jason, new to the room, hardly knew what was going on.

"Yes," he said, "give me a doughnut." "Steve, will you do ten 

push-ups so that Jason can have a doughnut?" 

Steve did ten push-ups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, 

bewildered, was handed a doughnut 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 doughnut 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 doughnut?" 

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 doughnut 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 doughnut?" 

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 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 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?"

****

May God Bless You and yours, and God please bless us 

with your GRACE.

Larry

‌

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