Donuts

Our pastor shared this story at church this morning. It is so powerful I love it for this Holy week.

Donuts


There was a boy named Steve who attended a Christian school. Brother Christianson taught at his school. He had an open-door policy and would take any student that had been thrown out of another class. Steve had been kicked out of his 6th period, so he went to Brother Christianson's class. Steve would sit in the back of the room and he was always the first to leave when class was over.

One day, the teacher asked Steve to stay after class. He pulled Steve aside and asked if he thought he was a pretty tough guy. Steve told him he was the toughest! So Brother Christianson asked him how many pushups he could do. Steve told him he did 200 every night. Sot the teacher asked if Steve thought he could do 300 at one time. He said he had never tried that many but would be willing to try.

The teacher told him he needed Steve to do 300 in sets of 10 for what he had in mind to work. He told him he needed Steve to tell him if he thought he could do it. Steve said he thought he could. And the teacher said he would need him to do the pushups on Friday.

Friday Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room. When class started, Bro. Christianson pulled out a big box of extra fancy donuts. Everyone was pretty excited, it was the last class on Friday so they were going to get an early start on the weekend.

Brother Christianson went to the 1st girl in the 1st row and asked if she wanted a donut. When she said yes, he turned to Steve and asked him if he would do 10 pushups so she could have a donut. He said sure and jumped down and did a quick 10. Then Steve sat in his desk and the teacher put a donut on her desk. He then went to the next person and repeated it. Steve continued  doing 10 pushups for each donut the teacher placed on each students desk.

When he came to the captain of the football team who was very popular he said he would do his own pushups. The teacher told him that only Steve could do them. The jock told him that he didn't want a donut then. Then the teacher turned to Steve and asked if he would be willing to do 10 pushups for a donut that this guy didn't want. Steve dropped to the floor and did the 10 and the teacher set a donut on his desk. The guy yelled that he said he didn't want one. The teacher moved on to the next student in the class.

By this time Steve was exhausted and didn't get up between sets of 10. He had begun perspiring and the other students were feeling sorry for him and angry at the teacher.  Bro. Christianson went to the next girl and she said she did not want a donut since she was feeling sorry for Steve. But the teacher asked Steve if he would do 10 more for the donut that she didn't want after he did them he set the donut on her  desk.

By now most of the students were beginning to say no and there were all these uneaten donuts on their
desks. Steve was having to really put forth a lot of 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 getting red because of the physical effort involved.

The teacher asked another student to watch and make sure that Steve did 10 push ups each time. During this class, some other students had wandered in to watch and sat along the heaters along the sides of the room. After a quick count there were 34 students in the room and even the teacher began to worry if Steve would be able to make it. Near the end of the row Steve was having a really rough time and taking a lot more time to complete each set.

A few moments later, another guy started to walk into the room and all the other students yelled for him to stay out! But Steve picked up his head and told them to let him come in. The teacher pointed out that if this guy came in it would mean he would need to do 10 more pushups for him. Steve assured him that he understood and told them to let him come in. The new guy said he did want a donut so Steve did the 10 pushups very slowly for him.

By now the teacher had finished all the rows and went over to the students sitting on the heater. Steve's arms were now shaking with each pushup in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. Sweat was dropping off his face and there was not a dry eye in the room. The last 2 girls were cheerleaders and both said they did not want a donut. But the teacher asked Steve once again if he would do 10 pushups for a donut that they did not want. Steve agreed and did the pushups grunting with the effort.

Brother Christianson now had tears in his eyes like all his students when the last girl asked if she could help Steve. He told her that Steve had to do this alone. 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.

Brother Chrsitianson turned to the room and said,"And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, 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 collapsed on the cross and died. And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten."

Have a blessed Easter!

Author unknown

4-17-11