The donut master. A Fable

There was a boy by the name of Steve who was
attending college where Brother Christianson taught
seminary.

One day, Brother Christianson asked Steve to stay
after class so he could talk with him.

After class, Bro. Christianson pulledSteve aside
and said, "You think you're pretty tough, don't you?"

Steve's answer was, "Yeah, I do."

Then Brother Christianson asked, "How many push
ups can you do?"

Steve said, "I do about 200 every night."

"200? That's pretty good, Steve," Brother 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 Brother
Christianson.

"Well, I can try," said Steve.

"Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I need you to do
300 in sets of ten for this to work. Can you do it?

I need you to tell me you can do it,"Brother
Christianson said.

Steve said, "Well... I think I can... yeah, I can
do it."

Brother Christianson said, "Good! I need you to
do this on Friday."

Friday came and Steve got to class early and
sat in the front.

When class started, Brother Christianson 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.

Bro. Christianson went to the first girl in the
first row and asked,"Cynthia, do you want a
donut?"

Cynthia said, "Yes."

Bro. Christianson then turned to Steve
and asked, "Steve, would you do ten pushups
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. Bro. Christianson
put a donut onCynthia's desk.

Bro. Christianson then went to Joe, the next
person, and asked,"Joe, do you want a donut?"

Joe said, "Yes." Bro. Christianson asked, "Steve
would you doten pushups so Joe can have a donut?"

Steve did ten pushups, Joe got a donut. And so it went,
down the first aisle, Steve did ten pushups for every
person before they got their donuts and down
the second aisle, until Bro. Christianson came to
Scott.

Scott was captain of the football team and
center of the basketball team. He was very
popular and never lacking for female
companionship.

When Bro. Christianson asked, "Scott do you
want a donut?"

Scott's reply was, "Well, can I do my own
pushups?" Bro. Christianson said, "No, Steve
has to do them."

Then Scott said, "Well, I don't want one then."

Bro. Christianson then turned to Steve and
asked, "Steve, would you do ten pushups so Scott
can have a donut he doesn't want?"

Steve started to do ten pushups.

Scott said, "HEY! I said I didn't want one!"

Bro. Christianson said, "Look, this is my
classroom, my class, my desks, and my donuts.
Just leave it on the desk if you don'twant 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. Bro. Christianson started
down the third row.

Now the students were beginning to get a little
angry. Bro. Christianson asked Jenny, "Jenny,
do you want a donut?"Jenny said, "No."

Then Bro. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would
you do ten pushups so Jenny can have a donut that
she doesn't want?"Steve did ten, Jenny got a donut.

By now, the students were beginning to say "No"
and there were all these uneaten donuts on the desks.

Steve was also 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 beginning
to get red because of the physical effort involved.

Bro. Christianson asked Robert to watch Steve
to make sure he did ten pushups in a set because
he couldn't bear to watch all of Steve's work for all
of those uneaten donuts.

So Robert began to watch Steve closely. Bro. Christianson
started down the fourth row.

During his class, however, some students had
wandered in and sat along the heaters along the
sides of the room.

When Bro.Christianson realized this; he did a quick
count and saw 34 students in the room. He started
to worry if Steve would be able to make it.

Bro. 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 Bro. Christianson, "Do I have to make my
nose touch on each one?" Bro. Christianson
thought for a moment,"Well, they're your pushups.
You can do them any way that you want."
And Bro. Christianson went on.

A few moments later, Jason came to the room
and was about to come in when all the students
yelled, "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."

Bro. 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." Bro. Christianson
said,"Okay, I'll let you get Jason's out of the way right now.

Jason, do you want a donut?"

"Yes."

"Steve, will you do ten pushups so that Jason can
have a donut?" Steve did ten pushups very slowly
and with great effort.

Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down.

Bro. Christianson finished the fourth row, then started on
those seated on the heaters. Steve's arms were now
shaking with each pushup in a struggle to lift himself
against the force of gravity.

Sweat was dropping off of his face, and by this time,
there was not a dry eye in the room.

The very last two girls in the room were cheerleaders
and very popular. Bro. Christianson went to Linda,
the second to last, and asked, "Linda, do you want a
doughnut? Linda said, very sadly,"No, thank you."

Bro. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten
pushups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn't
want?"

Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow
pushups for Linda. Then Bro. Christianson turned to the
last girl, Susan.

"Susan, do you want a donut?" Susan, with tears
flowing down her face, asked, Bro. Christianson,
"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 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 pushups 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.

Brother Christianson turned to the room and said.

"And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, plead to
the Father, 'Into your 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."

~Art Nelson~
A MountainWings Moment #3325

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