Subject:  A little too late for Easter but I thought you might enjoy reading it |
Author:
Ann
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Date Posted: 16:00:36 03/29/05 Tue
Edith
======
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?"
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