Easter
This is a true story, one that I promise you will never forget,
and
one that will cause you to think of Easter in a totally different
light.
The Lady's name was Edith Burns. She was a wonderful Christian who
lived in San Antonio, Texas. She was the patient of a fine Christian
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. She was earnestly talking to a young mother sitting beside her.
Dr. Phillips knew why Edith was there and what she was doing. You
see, 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."
Well, 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, "Now 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 every day. 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 gloriously saved. Everybody on that
floor from staff to patients were so excited about Edith, that they started
calling her Edith Easter; everyone except Phyllis Cross, the head nurse. She
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.
Well, 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, you religious
nut, 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." She walked out of the room.
Every day Phyllis Cross would walk into that 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!"
Well, 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!"
Well, 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?"