Thanks for sharing, Ned.  I've seen that somewhere else
recently;  but an article like that you just can't hear too often.
Dave
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ned Benton" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, March 27, 2006 10:43 PM
Subject: Easter


> >>
> >>
> >> > Happy Easter!
> >> >
> >> > 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?"
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > If you believe in Easter, forward this on. God works in wonderful
> >> > ways,
> >> > and to believe in his power is to truly be free. If Jesus had
> >> > e-mail,
> >> > he'd do the same for you.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > (Actually, maybe He just did)
> >> >
> >>
> >>