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, "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?" |