THE STORY OF EDITH BURNS...

Edith Burns was a wonderful Christian who lived in San Antonio,Texas. She was the patient of doctor 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 were 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, "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.

"Beverly, don't call Edith into the office quite yet," Dr. Phillips said, "I believe there another delivery is 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."

"Why Will Phillips, shame on you. Why are you so sad?" Edith responded, "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, She 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 they put women 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, 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, that "religious nut." Phyllis Cross had been a nurse in an army hospital and had seen and heard it all, she was the original G. I. Jane. Three times she had been married and now 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 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."

"Well, you can quit praying for me, it won't work. I'm not interested," Phyllis said.

"Well, I will pray and I have asked God not to let me go home until you come into the family," Edith said.

Phyllis said, "Then you will never die because that will never happen," and curtly walked out of the room.

Every day Phyllis walked into Edith's room, 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 roomlike 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 today is your special day."

"Edith, you have asked everybody here the question, 'Do you believe in Easter?' but you have never asked me," Phyllis said.

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 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 walk out of a 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 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 lilies and wish her a Happy Easter.

When she walked into Edith's room, Edith was lying in bed with that big black Bible on her lap. Her hands were in that Bible. There was a sweet smile on her face. When Phyllis 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 took one look at that dead body, and then lifted Her face toward heaven, and with tears streaming down her cheeks, said, "Happy Easter, Edith, Happy Easter!"

Phyllis 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?"

If you believe in Easter, forward this on, nothing bad will happen because you didn't. But just think how you might affect someone's day! God works in wonderful ways, and to believe in His power is to truly be free.