An Easter Parable: Edith Easter

AN EASTER PARABLE: EDITH 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 and 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, 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 14:2

 "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?"