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The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
Al and Norma Hopper’s story by Ken Lawson
Norma and Al Hopper had made plans for a May 2009 trip out West when Norma’s doctor found her blood counts were down. A colonoscopy revealed a large tumor in the colon. Norma said, “You know, the word cancer puts fear into some people, but I felt very peaceful and asked, ‘When can we do surgery?’ I knew the Lord would take care of me one way or the other.” The surgeon took out twelve inches of the colon, removed all lymph nodes, and found the cancer had metastasized to the liver. Norma’s surgeon said, “We cannot cure it. We can put it in remission, but we can’t cure it.”
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After chemotherapy, a CAT scan revealed the egg-sized liver tumor and two smaller ones had decreased in size. However, it was important they not shrink too much in case liver surgery was possible. Norma had liver surgery on December 22. She told her surgeon,
“I have just one thing to ask, that you pray before you operate.” He said, “I pray before I operate on all my patients.” Norma knew that no matter what, God is with you, He walks with you every step of the way. She remembers saying when she came to, “God gave me a miracle, but He also gave everyone a miracle in
the birth of Jesus Christ. So, I had two miracles
that Christmas!”
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“We sat right here many times and prayed that God’s will would be to set Norma free of this cancer. All our friends prayed. People all over the United States were praying.” |
Members of the Buddy Hamilton Sunday Morning Bible study Class have been inspired by the Hoppers’ regular reports during prayer time. They agree that Norma is an example of what positive faith can do,
but Al points out, “That’s not going to cure everybody; but I think if you pray, you will find a certain way to deal with your adversities, whatever they may be.”
Norma was very calm and accepting of all her diagnoses. They both knew it was going to be a road hard to travel. “We sat right here many times and prayed that God’s will would be to set Norma free of this cancer. All our friends prayed. People all over the United States were praying.”
“I probably handled it worse than she did,” Al reflected. “I already had lost a wife, then two daughters to cancer: Kathy in 2004 and Sandy in 2006. Norma has really kept me on an even keel with her positive attitude, her faith.” Both daughters were Stage Four before Al and Norma learned about their cancers. When Norma’s cancer was discovered last year, she also was Stage Four, even though she had had no problems and did not feel bad.
When Sandy died, Jane Nott, a member of the Buddy Hamilton Class, gave Norma Quiet Moments with God. “I have been reading that every day for four years.” Another class member, Carey Thompson, gave Norma The Healing Power of the Twenty-Third Psalm. “I read that over and over and over. When I went to bed at night, I would say Psalm 23 and if I woke up any time during the night, I would repeat it. I do believe in the healing power of Psalm 23.”
Al and Norma realize the battle never ends, but recent doctors’ reports are encouraging, and Norma has been released to play golf again—a sport she and Al love. Also, the Hoppers are planning their long-awaited trip out West this fall!
Editor’s note: Ken is also a member of the Buddy Hamilton Class. Above: “I thought I would never live to see four generations!” But here they are: Norma, Norma’s oldest daughter, her two daughters, and their children, as seen in the photo by Ken Lawson.
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