Edith Burns was a wonderful Christian who lived in San
Antonio, Texas. She was the patient of doctor by the name of
Will Phillips. Dr. Phillips was a gentle doctor who saw
patients as people.
His favorite patient was Edith Burns. One morning he went to
his office with a heavy heart and it was because of Edith
Burns. When he walked into that waiting room, there sat Edith
with her big black Bible in her lap earnestly talking to a
young mother sitting beside her.
Edith Burns had a habit of introducing herself in this way:
"Hello, my name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in
Easter?" Then she would explain the meaning of Easter,
and many times people would be saved.
Dr. Phillips walked into that office and there he saw the head
nurse, Beverly. Beverly had first met Edith when she was
taking her blood pressure. Edith began by saying, "My
name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?"
Beverly said, "Why yes I do." Edith said,
"Well, what do you believe about Easter?" Beverly
said, "Well, it's all about egg hunts, going to church,
and dressing up." Edith kept pressing her about the
real meaning
of Easter, and finally led her to a saving knowledge of Jesus
Christ.
Dr. Phillips said, "Beverly, don't call Edith into the
office quite yet. I believe there is another delivery taking
place in the waiting room.
After being called back in the doctor's office, Edith sat down
and when she took a look at the doctor she said, "Dr.
Will, why are you so sad? Are you reading your Bible? Are you
praying?"
Dr. Phillips said gently, "Edith, I'm the doctor and
you're the patient." With a heavy heart he
said, "Your lab report came back and it says you have
cancer, and Edith, you're not going to live very long."
Edith said, "Why Will Phillips, shame on you. Why are you
so sad? Do you think God makes mistakes? You have just told me
I'm going to see my precious Lord Jesus, my husband, and my
friends. You have just told me that I am going to celebrate
Easter forever, and here you are having difficulty giving me
my ticket!"
Dr. Phillips thought to himself, "What a magnificent
woman this Edith Burns is!"
Edith continued coming to Dr. Phillips. Christmas came and the
office was closed through January 3rd. On the day the office
opened, Edith did not show up. Later that afternoon, Edith
called Dr. Phillips and said she would have to be moving her
story to the hospital and said, "Will, I'm very near
home, so would you make sure that they put women in here next
to me in my room who need to know about Easter?"
Well, they did just that and women began to come in and
share that room with Edith. Many women were saved. Everybody
on that floor from staff to patients were so excited about
Edith, that they started calling her Edith Easter; that is
everyone except Phyllis Cross, the head nurse. Phyllis made it
plain that she wanted nothing to do with Edith because she was
a "religious nut". She had been a nurse in an army
hospital. She had seen it all and heard it all. She was the
original G.I. Jane. She had been married three times, she was
hard, cold, and did everything by the book.
One morning the two nurses who were to attend to Edith were
sick. Edith had the flu and Phyllis Cross had to go in and
give her a shot. When she walked in, Edith had a big smile on
her face and said, "Phyllis, God loves you and I love
you, and I have been praying for you."
Phyllis Cross said, "Well, you can quit praying for me,
it won't work. I'm not interested." Edith said,
"Well, I will pray and I have asked God not to let me go
home until you come into the family." Phyllis Cross said,
"Then you will never die because that will never
happen," and curtly walked out of the room.
Every day Phyllis Cross would walk into the room and Edith
would say, "God loves you Phyllis and I love you, and I'm
praying for you." One day Phyllis Cross said she was
literally drawn to Edith's room like a magnet
would draw iron. She sat down on the bed and Edith said,
"I'm so glad you have come, because God told me that
today is your special day."
Phyllis Cross said, "Edith, you have asked everybody here
the question, 'Do you believe in Easter?' but you have never
asked me." Edith said, "Phyllis, I wanted to
many times, but God told me to wait until you asked, and now
that you have asked..."
Edith Burns took her Bible and shared with Phyllis Cross the
Easter Story of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus
Christ. Edith said, "Phyllis, do you believe in Easter?
Do you believe that Jesus Christ is alive and that He wants to
live in your heart?" Phyllis Cross said, "Oh I want
to believe that with all of my heart, and I do want Jesus in
my life." Right there, Phyllis Cross prayed and invited
Jesus Christ into her heart. For the first time Phyllis Cross
did not walk out of a hospital room, she was carried out on
the wings of angels.
Two days later, Phyllis Cross came in and Edith said, "Do
you know what day it is?" Phyllis Cross said, "Why
Edith, it's Good Friday." Edith said, "Oh, no, for
you every day is Easter. Happy Easter Phyllis!"
Two days later, on Easter Sunday, Phyllis Cross came into
work, did some of her duties and then went down to the
flower shop and got some Easter lilies because she wanted
to go up to see Edith and give her some Easter lilies
and wish her a Happy Easter. When she walked into Edith's
room, Edith was in bed. That big black Bible was on her
lap. Her hands were in that Bible. There was a sweet
smile on her face.
When Phyllis Cross went to pick up Edith's hand, she
realized Edith was dead. Her left hand was on John 14:
"In my Father's house are many mansions. I go to
prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to
Myself, that where I am, there you may be also."
Her right hand was on Revelation 21:4, " And God will
wipe away every tear from their eyes, there shall be no more
death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more
pain, for the former things have passed away."
Phyllis Cross took one look at that dead body, and then lifted
her face toward heaven, and with tears streaming down here
cheeks, said, "Happy Easter, Edith - Happy Easter!"
Phyllis Cross left Edith's body, walked out of the room, and
over to a table where two student nurses were sitting. She
said, "My name is Phyllis Cross. Do you believe in
Easter?"
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