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 and his favorite patient was Edith Burns.
One morning he went to his office with a heavy heart; 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 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 the 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,
“Hello, 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.
Well after being called back into 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, it’s terminal and you’re not going to live much longer.”
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 see Dr Phillips. Christmas came and the
office was closed. 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 to the hospital and said, “Will, I’m very near home, so would you
make sure that they put women 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 came to be saved in that room. 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. Had seen it
all and heard it all. She was the original G.I. Jane. She had been married
three times, and 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 said, “Then you will never die because that will never happen,” and
promptly 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 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 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 took her Bible and shared with
Phyllis 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 said, “Oh I want to believe that with all of my heart, and I do want
Jesus in my life.” Right there, Phyllis prayed and invited Jesus Christ into
her heart. For the first time Phyllis did not just walk out of that hospital
room, she was carried out on the wings of angels.
Two days later, Phyllis came in and Edith said, “Do you know what day it
is?” Phyllis 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 came into work, did some of her
duties and then went down to the flower shop to get some Easter lilies. She
wanted to see Edith and give her the 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 on the Bible. There was a sweet smile on her
face. When Phyllis went to pick up Edith’s hand, she realized Edith was
gone. She had gone home to be with Jesus her Lord and Savior.
Her left hand was on John 14:2-3 “In my Father’s house are many mansions:
if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you
unto Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”
Her right hand was on Revelation 21:4, “And God shall wipe away all tears
from their eyes, and there shall be no more death neither sorrow, nor
crying; neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things have
passed away.”
Phyllis took one look at Edith, and then lifted her face toward heaven, and
with tears streaming down here cheeks, said,
“Happy Easter, Edith – Happy Easter!”
Phyllis walked out of the room, and over to a table where two student
nurses were sitting. She said, “Hello, My name is Phyllis Cross. Do you
believe in Easter?”
~~
Dr Bob Griffin
bob@grif.net www.grif.net
“Jesus Knows Me, This I Love!”
