An Easter Story - 04/11/00 04:52 AM
> I BELIEVE IN EASTER<BR>> This is a true story, one that I promise you will<BR>> never forget, and one that will cause you to think of<BR>> Easter in a totally different light.<BR>> <BR>> The Lady's name was Edith Burns. She was a<BR>> wonderful Christian who lived in San Antonio, Texas.<BR>> She was the patient of a fine Christian doctor by<BR>> the name of Will Phillips. Dr. Phillips was a gentle<BR>> doctor who saw patients as people. His favorite<BR>> patient was Edith Burns.<BR>> One morning he went to his office with a heavy<BR>> heart and it was because of Edith Burns. When he<BR>> walked into that waiting room, there sat Edith with<BR>> her big black Bible in her lap. She was earnestly<BR>> talking to a young mother sitting beside her. Dr.<BR>> Phillips knew why Edith was there and what she was<BR>> doing. You see, Edith Burns had a habit of introducing<BR>> herself in this way: "Hello, my name is Edith Burns.<BR>> Do you believe in Easter?" Then she would explain the<BR>> meaning of Easter, and many times people would be<BR>> saved.<BR>> Dr. Phillips walked into that office and there he<BR>> saw the head nurse Beverly. Beverly had first met<BR>> Edith when she was taking her blood pressure. Edith<BR>> began by saying, "My name is Edith Burns. Do you<BR>> believe in Easter?" Beverly said, "Why yes I do." Edith<BR>> said, "Well, what do you believe about Easter?" Beverly<BR>> said, "Well, it's all about egg hunts, going to church, and<BR>> dressing up." Well Edith kept pressing her about the<BR>> real meaning of Easter, and finally led her to a saving<BR>> knowledge of Jesus Christ. Dr. Phillips said,<BR>> "Beverly, don't call Edith into the office quite yet.<BR>> I believe there is another delivery taking place in<BR>> the waiting room.<BR>> After being called back in the doctor's office, Edith<BR>> sat down and when she took a look at the doctor she said,<BR>> "Dr. Will, why are you so sad? Are you reading your Bible?<BR>> Are you praying?" Dr. Phillips said, "Now Edith, I'm the<BR>> doctor and you're the patient," With a heavy heart he said,<BR>> "your lab report came back and it says you have cancer, and<BR>> Edith, you're not going to live very long."<BR>> Edith said, "Why Will Phillips, shame on you. Why<BR>> are you so sad? Do you think God makes mistakes?<BR>> You have just told me I'm going to see my precious Lord<BR>> Jesus, my husband, and my friends. You have just told me<BR>> that I am going to celebrate Easter forever, and here you<BR>> are having difficulty giving me my ticket!" Dr. Phillips thought<BR>> to himself, "What a magnificent woman this Edith Burns<BR>> is!"<BR>> Edith continued coming to Dr. Phillips every day. Christmas<BR>> came and the office was closed through January 3rd. On the<BR>> day the office opened, Edith did not show up. Later that<BR>> afternoon, Edith called Dr. Phillips and said she would have to<BR>> be moving her story to the hospital and said, "Will, I'm very<BR>> near home, so would you make sure that they put women in<BR>> here next to me in my room who need to know about Easter?<BR>> Well, they did just that and women began to come in and<BR>> share that room with Edith. Many women were gloriously<BR>> saved. Everybody on that floor from staff to patients were<BR>> so excited about Edith, that they started calling her Edith<BR>> Easter; everyone except Phyllis Cross, the head nurse.<BR>> She made it plain that she wanted nothing to do with<BR>> Edith because she was a "religious nut." She had been a<BR>> nurse in an army hospital. She had seen it all and heard<BR>> it all. She was the original G.I. Jane. She was hard, cold,<BR>> and did everything by the book.<BR>> Well, one morning the two nurses who were to attend to<BR>> Edith were sick. Edith had the flu and Phyllis Cross had to<BR>> go in and give her a flu shot. When she walked in, Edith<BR>> had a big smile on her face and said, "Phyllis, God loves<BR>> you and I love you, and I have been praying for you."<BR>> Phyllis Cross said, "Well, you can quit praying for me, you<BR>> religious nut, it won't work. I'm not interested." Edith said,<BR>> "Well, I will pray and I have asked God not to let me go home<BR>> until you come into the family." Phyllis Cross said,<BR>> "Then you will never die because that will never happen."<BR>> She walked out of the room.<BR>> Every day Phyllis Cross would walk into that room<BR>> and Edith would say, "God loves you Phyllis and I love<BR>> you, and I'm praying for you." One day Phyllis Cross<BR>> said she was literally drawn to Edith's room like a magnet<BR>> would draw iron. She sat down on the bed and Edith<BR>> said, "I'm so glad you have come, because God told me<BR>> that today is your special day." Phyllis Cross said,<BR>> "Edith, you have asked everybody here the question,<BR>> "Do you believe in Easter?" but you have never asked me."<BR>> Edith said, "Phyllis, I wanted to many times, but God told me to<BR>> wait until you asked, and now that you have asked..."<BR>> Edith Burns took her Bible and shared with Phyllis Cross the<BR>> Easter Story of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.<BR>> Edith said, "Phyllis, do you believe in Easter? Do you believe<BR>> that Jesus Christ is alive and that He wants to live in your<BR>> heart?"<BR>> Phyllis Cross said, "Oh I want to believe that with all of my heart,<BR>> and I do want Jesus in my life." Right there, Phyllis Cross prayed<BR>> and invited Jesus Christ into her heart. For the first time Phyllis<BR>> Cross did not walk out of a hospital room, she was carried out<BR>> on the wings of angels!<BR>> Two days later, Phyllis Cross came in and Edith said,<BR>> "Do you know what day it is?" Phyllis Cross said,<BR>> "Why Edith, it's Good Friday." Edith said, "Oh, no,<BR>> for you every day is Easter. Happy Easter Phyllis!" Well, two<BR>> days later, on Easter Sunday, Phyllis Cross came into work,<BR>> did some of her duties and then went down to the flower shop<BR>> and got some Easter lillies because she wanted to go up to see<BR>> Edith and give her some Easter lillies and wish her a Happy Easter.<BR>> When she walked into Edith's room, Edith was in bed. That big<BR>> black Bible was on her lap. Her hands were in that Bible.<BR>> There was a sweet smile on her face. When Phyllis Cross<BR>> went to pick up Edith's hand, she realized Edith was dead.<BR>> Her left hand was on John 14: "In my Father's house are many<BR>> mansions. I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and<BR>> receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also."<BR>> Her right hand was on Revelation 21:4, "And God will wipe away<BR>> every tear from their eyes, there shall be no more death, nor<BR>> sorrow, no crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former<BR>> things have passed away."<BR>> Phyllis Cross took one look at that dead body, and then lifted<BR>> her face toward heaven, and with tears streaming down here<BR>> cheeks, said, "Happy Easter, Edith - Happy Easter!"<BR>> Well, Phyllis Cross left Edith's body, walked out<BR>> of the room, and over to a table where two student<BR>> nurses were sitting. She said, "My name is Phyllis Cross.<BR>> Do you believe in Easter?"<P>Got this in an e-mail... it was worth passing it on!<P>------------------<BR>Jesus is the only answer!<BR>His blessings, Cozy