This is a great story that I received from one of our members and thought
it had a great message on sharing the good news of the Lord. I hope you
will be inspired by this message that shows how sharing the message of the
Lord Jesus Christ can break the bondage of sin and draw multitudes to know
Him as their Savior and Lord. 


THE STORY OF EDITH BURNS

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 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 here 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?"

By Russell Kelfer


Read and meditate on these scriptures:

John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten 
Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting 
life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, 
but that the world through Him might be saved.”

Isaiah 55:6-7 “Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He
is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his 
thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And 
to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.”

John 11:25-26 Jesus declares, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who
believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and 
believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

All scriptures can be found in the New King James Version.


In Christ’s Service, 

Dwayne Savaya 
Gods Work Ministry