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 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?"

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