[Faith-talk] FW: [B H W M] do you believe in easter?

[Eric Calhoun]

Original Message: 
From: daniel <daniel_337 at hotmail.co.uk>
To: bhwm at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [B H W M] do you believe in easter?
Date: 
Wed, 29 Feb 2012 09:42:29 +0000

Do You Believe In Easter?
This is a true story, one that I promise you will never forget, and one
that will cause you to think of Easter in a totally different light.

The Lady's name was Edith Burns. She was a wonderful Christian who lived
in San Antonio, Texas. She was the patient of a fine Christian 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. She was earnestly talking to a young mother
sitting beside her.

Dr. Phillips knew why Edith was there and what she was doing. You see,
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."

Well, 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, "Now 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 every day. 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 gloriously saved. Everybody on that floor
from staff to patients were so excited about Edith, that they started
calling her Edith
Easter; everyone except Phyllis Cross, the head nurse. She 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.

Well, 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, you religious
nut, 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." She walked out of the room.

Every day Phyllis Cross would walk into that 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!"

Well, 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?"


-- 
I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out
of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my
worst,
then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best.