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. 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 goin 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 that 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'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 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: 
"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 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 said, 
"My name is Phyllis Cross. 
Do you believe in Easter?"

God works in wonderful ways, and to 
believe in his power is to truly be free.

"Do You Believe In Easter?"
Author Unknown


Page created by:
"Twink's Ink"
March
2002