Day 31: Luke 4:40

Luke 4:40: “After sunset all who had friends who were sick with various diseases brought them to Jesus; he placed his hands on every one of them and healed them all.”

My Precious Brother Norris 

I was the youngest of seven children: I was born July 6, 1924. Twins, Norris and Doris, had been born October 26, 1922. They were less than two years older than me. Also, Henry, Ione, Vera, and Dora were my older siblings. We grew up on a cotton farm which is now the Fort Hood reservation. We all worked very hard with our parents, Jeff and Maggie Allman.

My daddy would tell us, “Now pick that cotton clean so that there isn’t a burr or leaf left in it.”

When work was done, for fun we’d run and play and push each other on an axle with wagon wheels. We didn’t have the toys and games children have today. My brother, Norris and I would go to the movies when we could round up 10 cents each, the cost of the movie. We were close and loved each other so much. He was such a good and kind person. We’d go everywhere together. Norris became ill between 19 and 20 years of age. The doctor wasn’t sure, at first, what was causing him to become crippled. Then the diagnosis came, he had cancer of the bone in his hip. There were no cancer treatments back in that day. He was placed in a hospital in Marlin, TX. The only thing they had to give Norris for the pain was morphine and it didn’t ease his pain for long. My mother asked me to stay with him when she couldn’t be there. I slept on a cot in his room. We would sit at the window watching out hoping we would see that someone was coming to visit us. To this day I can point out the window to the room where we stayed. Norris would always pray that the next shot would ease his pain. Norris died at the age of 22.

Heavenly Father, I pray for those researching to find a cure for cancer, and pray for those battling cancer. Until a cure is found, may the treatments and pain medications help keep pain at a minimum. Amen.

Contributed by Billie