great story...n/c

[linnettejane]

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?"

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)

"Father, bless this person in whatever it is that You know he or she may
be needing this day" 




 

 

[linnettejane]

God Lives Under The Bed
 
I think this is perhaps one of the BEST email 'forwards' I have ever read. I hope you will enjoy it half as much as I have!!

Don't start reading this one until you've got more than 3 or 4 minutes to just 'scan' over it. It deserves some time for reflection.

                        GOD LIVES UNDER THE BED 
 
 
I envy Kevin.
My brother, Kevin, thinks God lives under his bed. At least that's what I heard him say one night. 
 
He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped to listen, 'Are you there, God?' he said.  'Where are you? Oh, I see. Under the bed...' 

I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room. Kevin's unique perspectives are often a source of amusement. But that night something else lingered long after the humor. I realized for the first time the very different world Kevin lives in. 

He was born 30 years ago, mentally  disabled as a result of difficulties during labour. Apart from his size  (he's 6-foot-2), there are few ways in which he is an adult. 
 
He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7-year-old, and he always will. He will probably  always believe that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one  who fills the space under our tree every Christmas and that airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them. 

I remember wondering if Kevin realizes he is different. Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life?

Up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel,  return to eat his favorite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later to bed. 
 
The only variation in the entire scheme is laundry, when he hovers excitedly over the washing machine like  a mother with her newborn child. 
 
He does not seem dissatisfied.   

He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05, eager for a day of simple work. 

He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove before dinner, and he stays up late  twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for his next day's laundry  chores. 

And Saturdays-oh, the bliss of Saturdays! That's the day my Dad takes Kevin to the airport to have a soft  drink, watch the planes land, and speculate loudly on the destination of  each passenger inside. ' That one's goin' to Chi-car-go!' Kevin shouts as he claps his hands. 

His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights. 
And so goes his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips. 
He doesn't know what it means to be discontent. 
His life is simple.
 
He will never know the entanglements of wealth of power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats. His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be. 

His hands are diligent. Kevin is never so happy as when he is working. When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it. 

He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished. But when  his tasks are done, Kevin knows how to relax. 
 
He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others. His heart is pure. 

He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize  instead of argue. 
 
Free from pride and unconcerned  with appearances, Kevin is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or  sorry. He is always transparent, always sincere.. And he trusts God.   

Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to Christ, he comes as a child. Kevin seems to  know God - to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an  'educated' person to grasp. God seems like his closest companion.   

In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity I envy the security Kevin has in his simple faith. 
 
It is then that I am most willing  to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions. 
 
It is then I realize that perhaps  he is not the one with the handicap . I am. My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances - they all become disabilities when I do not trust  them to God's care. 

Who knows if Kevin comprehends things I can never learn? After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love  of God. 
 
And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our  hearts, I'll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who  believed that God lived under his bed. 

Kevin won't be surprised at all!   
 
When you receive this, say a prayer. That's all you have to do. There is nothing attached. This is powerful. 
 
Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive. There is no cost, but a lot of rewards. 
 

FRIENDS ARE ANGELS WHO LIFT US TO OUR FEET WHEN OUR WINGS HAVE TROUBLE REMEMBERING HOW TO  FLY.