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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 flu 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, |
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"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 her cheeks said, "Happy Easter, Edith - Happy
Easter!"
Well, 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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