Amid the busyness and complexity of modern daily life, with its many challenges, pressures and uncertainties, it is wonderfully refreshing to discover a story that portrays the very essence of Christianity in its simplest, purest and most powerful way. Such is the impact of the following true story.
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, and his favourite patient was Edith Burns.
One morning Dr. Phillips went to his office with a heavy heart, and it was because of Edith Burns. When he walked into the waiting room, there sat Edith with her big black Bible in her lap, earnestly talking about her faith 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 lead people to a knowledge of Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour.
Dr. Phillips asked his receptionist to send Edith into his office. Edith sat down, and when she took a look at the doctor, she said, "Doctor, 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." Then with a heavy heart he said, "Your lab report came back, and it reveals you have cancer, and Edith, you're not going to live very much longer."
"Why, Dr. Phillips," said Edith, "shame on you! Why are you so sad? Do you think God makes mistakes? You have just told me I'm shortly going to see my precious Lord Jesus, my husband, and many of 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 felt humbled by the certainty of Edith’s faith.
Within a few weeks, Edith had reached a point in her illness where she needed to be hospitalised. On arriving at hospital she told the doctor, “I'm very near home now, so would you make sure that they put women in the room with me who need to know about Easter?"
Well, they did just that and one patient after another shared the room with Edith. Many of them committed their lives to Christ. Everybody on that floor, from staff to patients, were so excited about Edith that they started calling her ‘Edith Easter’ that is, everybody except Phyllis Cross, the head nurse on the floor. Phyllis made it plain that she wanted nothing to do with Edith whom she called, "a religious nut." Phyllis had been married three times. She was hard, cold, and did everything by the book.
One morning the two nurses who normally attend to Edith were sick. Edith had a bout of flu, so Phyllis Cross had to go and administer her medication. When she walked in, Edith had a big smile on her face as she said, "Phyllis, God loves you, and I love you, too. I've been praying for you."   The head nurse frowned. "Well, you can quit praying for me. It won't work. I'm not interested." 
"Well, I will pray," responded Edith, "and I have asked God not to let me go home until you come into the family of God"
"Then you will never die," snapped Phyllis, "because that will never happen," as she stormed out of the room.
Every day when Phyllis Cross walked into the room, Edith would smile and say, "God loves you Phyllis, and I love you too ...and I'm still praying for you."
Finally, one day, Nurse Cross found herself being literally drawn into Edith's room like a magnet would draw iron. She sat down on the side of the bed and Edith said, "I'm so glad you have come, because God told me that today is your special day."
"Edith, you have asked everybody here the question, 'Do you believe in Easter?' but you've never asked me," said Phyllis.  “I wanted to many times, but God told me to wait until you asked, and now that you have asked. ...” Edith took her Bible and shared with Phyllis Cross the Easter story of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.   Then Edith said, "Phyllis, do you believe in Easter? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is alive and that He wants to live within you?"    And the hard hearted Phyllis said……."Oh, I want to believe that with all of my heart" and I do want Jesus in my life." And right there and then Phyllis prayed and invited Jesus Christ into her heart.