Do You Believe In Easter?

 

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 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 is 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 14:2 "In my Father's house there 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 body, and then lifted her face

toward heaven, and with tears streaming down her 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?"

 

Author Unknown