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Rosemead Kiwanis Club "Serving the Community Since 1945" |
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FAX OF LIFE
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The Fax of Life
A weekly inspiration, courtesy of the Kiwanis Club of Scott's Valley
(distributed free by the Kiwanis Club of Rosemead, CA - rosemeadkiwanis.org )
March 23, 2008 Volume 13, Number 26
The Story of Edith Burns... 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?"
Author unknown, contributed by Keith Murphy
Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time. All of its Clubs are community service clubs.
The Kiwanis Club of Scott's Valley normally meets at the Heavenly Café in Scott's Valley on Wednesdays at 7 am - see the Scott's Valley Kiwanis website @ http://svkiwanis.org for details; The Kiwanis Club of Rosemead normally meets on Thursdays at 12:10 - see the Rosemead Kiwanis website @ http://rosemeadkiwanis.org for confirmation and directions. Visitors are welcome to join mweetings of either club anytime.
There is no charge to anyone for receiving the "Fax;" however. if you have been encouraged in any way by the message, pass it on by saying something encouraging to someone else during the week.
Neither the Scott's Valley or Rosemead Kiwanis Clubs make any representations as to the accuracy of quotes or actions attributed to named individuals; material selected for the Fax of Life comes from a variety of sources and is chosen based solely on its presumed inspirational value to readers.