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Again, it isn't Easter but the Easter message is timeless...so...
I've told this story before.
I tell it now again. It can
really hardly be told too often.
Her name was
Edith Burns and she lived in San Antonio, Texas. Her doctor’s name was Will Phillips. Dr. Phillips was a gentle loving doctor who
saw people as people and not number on his HMO chart. One morning he walked into his office with a
very heavy heart.
Later, he went to
the waiting room to call Edith in for a talk.
He wanted to do it this morning himself rather than have her called in
by his nurse. She was sitting there with
her big heavy Bible resting in her lap talking to a young mother. He knew exactly how the conversation had begun,. “Hello, my name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?” Then after she had gotten many of the usual
answers that it was egg hunts and going to church and dressing up, Edith would
keep pressing about the real meaning of Easter and continued to lead dozens of
people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
It was what Edith
was . It was what she did all the
time. Too everyone she met. Reticence was not a part of her vocabulary.
When Doctor Phillips
and Edith sat down Edith looked at him and said, “Why are you so sad doctor?
“Well,” he replied,
knowing it would be easier to get his unpleasant task behind him, “Your tests
came back Edith and you have inoperable cancer and that you are not going to
live long.”
“Will Phillips,
shame on you for looking so morose. Do
you think God makes mistakes. You have just told me I’m going to see my
precious 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 went. Then late one afternoon, Edith
called Dr. Phillips and said she would have to be moving her story to the
hospital. Then she asked favor, “Dr.
Phillips, would you make sure they put women next to me in my room who need to
know about Easter?”
Well, he did just
that and as they came and went, not Edith, she just stayed there, she would
meet each new patient with the words, “Hello, my name is Edith. Do you believe in Easter?”
After awhile all the
staff members on the floor began to call 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.”
Then, one morning,
the two nurses who normally attended 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 angrily
responded, “Well, you can stop carrying on with such nonsense. I don’t believe in prayer. It won’t work. I’m not interested.”
Edith just smiled
and said, “Well, I have prayed for you and I will keep on praying for you and I
have asked God not to let me go home until you come into the family.”
Phyllis answered,
“Then you will never die because that will never happen.”
With the other
nurses still sick, every day when Phyllis walked into the room Edith would
smile and say, “God loves you and I’m praying for you.”
One day Phyllis will
tell you she was literally drawn to Edith’s room like a magnet would draw
iron. She sat down on the bed and Edith
said to her, “I’m so glad you have come, because God told me that today is your
special day.”
Phyllis answered,
“Edith, you have asked everybody here the question, “Do you believe in
Easter? But you have never asked me.”
“Phyllis,” replied
Edith, “Many times I have wanted to, 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. And the
softly, for the first time she asked this nurse who had been cold and hard and
just did everything by the book, “Phyllis, do you believe in Easter? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is alive and
that He wants to live in your heart?”
And Phyllis
answered, “Oh, I want to believe. With
all my heart I want to believe.” And
they talked awhile longer and when Phyllis walked out of that hospital room it
was as if she were being carried out on the wings of angels.
Some days later,
Phyllis walked in for she came now many times, and Edith said to her, “Do you
know what day it is?” And Phyllis
replied, “Why Edith, it’s Good Friday.”
And Edith replied,
with a smile so wide it tickled her soul, “Oh know Phyllis, it is Easter. Now, 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 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 that Edith was dead.
Her left hand was on
John 14: “In my Father’s house are many mansions. I go to prepared pa 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 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 sat down and
turning to them asked a question, “My name is Phyllis Cross. Do you believe in Easter?”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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