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?"

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