Edith Burns was a wonderful Christian who lived in San
Antonio, Texas. She was the patient of a 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,
"Well 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?"
If you believe in Easter, pass this on.
