This is a true story, one that I promise you will never forget, and one that will cause you to think of Easter in a totally different light.
The lady's name was Ethel Lamont. She was a wonderful Christian who lived in Little Rock, Arkansas. She was the patient of a fine Christian doctor by the name of Will Phillips. Dr. Phillips was a gentle doctor who saw patients as people.
Ethel was his favorite patient. One morning he went to his office with a heavy heart and it was because of her. When he walked into that waiting room, there sat Ethel with her big black bible in her lap. She was earnestly talking to a young mother sitting beside her. Dr. Phillips knew why Ethel was there and what she was doing. You see, Ethel Burns had a habit of introducing herself in this way "Hello, my name is Ethel Lamont. Do you believe in Easter?" Then she would explain the meaning of Easter, and many times people would see Jesus for the first time as she told his story.
Dr. Phillips walked into that office and there he saw the head nurse Beverly. Beverly had first met Ethel when she was taking her blood pressure. Ethel began in her usual way by saying, "My name is Ethel Lamont. 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." Well Ethel kept pressing her about the real meaning of Easter, and finally led her to a living relationship with Jesus Christ.
Dr. Phillips said, "Beverly, don't call Ethel 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, Ethel 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, "Now Ethel, 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 Ethel, you're not going to live very long." Edith said, "Why Will Phillips, 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 is!"
Ethel continued coming to Dr. Phillips every day. Christmas came and the office was closed through January 3rd. On the day the office opened, Ethel did not show up. Later that afternoon, Ethel called Dr. Phillips and said she would have to be going 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 met their Lord through Ethel. Everybody on that floor from staff to patients were so excited about Ethel, that they started calling her Easter Ethel; everyone except Phyllis Cross, the head nurse. She made it plain that she wanted nothing to do with Edith because she was "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 Ethel were sick. Ethel had the flu and Phyllis Cross had to go in and give her a flu shot. When she walked in, Ethel 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." Ethel 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 Ethel 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 Ethel's room like a magnet would draw iron. She sat down on the bed and Ethel said, "I'm so glad you have come, because God told me that today is your special day." Phyllis Cross said, "Ethel, 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..." Ethel took her Bible and shared with Phyllis 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 Ethel said, "Do you know what day it is?" Phyllis Cross said, "Why Ethel, it's Good Friday." Ethel 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 Ethel and give her some Easter lilies and wish her a Happy Easter. When she walked into her room, Ethel 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 Ethel's hand, she realized she 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, Ethel - Happy Easter!" Well, Phyllis Cross left Ethel'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?"
How about you, do you believe? Is Jesus risen or is he not? Or is it after all just a child’s fable? Ultimately we are asked which path we will follow. The skeptical, calculating path of doubters, or the trusting, patient route of those who keep learning to believe like Ethel Easter.
May the tender mercy of God bring you and your family Peace & Joy. fr. matt
