By Bobby Davis
Among Danny Shelton’s favorite stories, this one stands out. “Back in the 1970s, an evangelist came to West Frankfort, Illinois, and set up a tent on the south side of town,” he recalls. “There I met a man named John Layer and his wife, who came to tape the services and make cassette copies for those who attended. One day, I asked him what he did for a living, and he said, ‘I’m a contractor from out west,’ and that struck a chord with me, since my brother Kenny and I were contractors, too. I found out he volunteered several times a year, so I asked him how he could afford to come at his own expense. That’s when he told me the most amazing story!
In John’s Own Words
“We had recently bought some property with a small cabin, and when we moved in, our four daughters claimed a bedroom, and our son was happy with the attic above the carport, where the only access was a trapdoor with a ladder.
Our four-year-old daughter Heidi loved to visit him, and the next morning, her mother reminded her to bring her shoes down with her. But instead of putting them on in the attic, she tried to carry them down, and with only one hand on the ladder, she fell back and hit her head.
“That day, she couldn’t keep anything down, and the doctor’s advice was to keep her quiet. But by the next morning she was back to her vibrant self. Then, ten days later, I was already at work when our little climber missed her footing getting down from the table and hit the back of her head, again. Still in her robe, my wife Toni carried her to our bed, then hurriedly put on clothing. Heidi threw up and choked on her food, but Toni gave her mouth-to-mouth, and she started breathing again.
“Now the devil loves to kick you when you’re down, and the car wouldn’t start; but fortunately, it was a stick shift, and was parked on a slight hill. When they reached the doctor’s office, he called for an ambulance right away to take Heidi to the best neurosurgeon in the Northwest.
“By the time I arrived at the hospital, Heidi’s head had been shaved in preparation for surgery; but at this point, that wasn’t possible, because the pressure inside her skull was nearly four-and-a-half times higher than normal.
“By the next morning, the food in her lungs had begun to decay and her white blood count had more than doubled. She was dehydrating quickly, so we called our church elders to anoint her, asking for God’s healing touch!
“Heidi lay there so still, and after a week of no improvement, they urged us to take her home, saying that our own doctor could keep track of her. They just don’t want to have this child die at their facility, I thought.”
You Must Trust Jesus
“Another week passed with daily checks from our doctor. I went to a payphone so my family wouldn’t hear me ask what her chances were for survival. After a long pause, he said, ‘That’s very difficult to estimate, John, but I’m guessing she has about a fifty percent chance.’
“I called the wonderful Christian doctor who had delivered Heidi. He’d kept track of her deteriorating health, and said, ‘John, you must trust Jesus.’ So I searched my soul, and as far as I knew, there was nothing between Jesus and me.
“It was time to take Heidi back to the neurosurgeon, so I carried her to the car, expecting her to ride in her mother’s arms. But instead, she sat between us, and even bounced a little. I was beside myself, because I knew that often people have a sudden surge of energy just before they die. I kept thinking, I might not even get her to her doctor!
“The receptionist took us immediately into the examining room, and after each test, the specialist was amazed; but my thoughts were that he just wanted to get her out of there before she died.
“Another doctor came in, and used almost the same words. So I asked Toni to take Heidi out and explained that I needed to know the whole truth so I could prepare Toni and my mother. ‘John, this is the truth. We’re amazed at her recovery!’ he said.
“Still in disbelief, I ran into the other surgeon right outside the door and pleaded with him to tell me the truth. I should have believed the Bible when it says that if two witnesses agree, you should believe them, but I didn’t!”
Jesus’ Touch
John says that on their drive home, Heidi suddenly spoke up. “We’d driven only a mile when my daughter said, ‘Jesus touched me, and He made me better all over.’
“I couldn’t believe my ears. ‘What did you say, Heidi?’
“She repeated, ‘Jesus touched me and made me better all over!’
“‘When did this happen, Heidi?’ Toni asked, but I didn’t give her a chance to answer. Instead, I lectured my wife about four-year-olds not knowing the difference between yesterday and tomorrow.
“But when I was done, Heidi said, ‘This morning, while you were asleep.’
“Another block or two, and she said, ‘I’m hungry,’ so I stopped at the first convenience store I could find. Have you ever tried to find healthy food in one? The best I could do was to get her some bananas, and a fudge bar. The little girl who had been unable to hold anything down was now wolfing it down. Fudge bar. Banana. No problem!
“When we got home, Toni asked, ‘Where were you when Jesus touched you, Heidi?’ and she just ran to her crib next to our bed, where Toni could reach over to check if she was still alive.
“Then my mother asked, ‘Where did He touch you, Heidi?’ and she answered, ‘He touched me on the head and the lump went away; then all over.’
“My wife asked the next question. ‘Heidi, how did you know it was Jesus?’
“‘Oh, because of His big hand,’ she responded.”
The Question
Thirteen years later, some missionary friends who had left the country with that testimony came into the vestibule of the Enumclaw, Washington, Seventh-day Adventist Church where John and his family attended.
“When they saw Heidi standing beside us, the lady ran up to her and said, ‘Oh Heidi, I’ve been wanting to ask you how big Jesus’ hand was,’ and Heidi’s response was instant. ‘It covered me,’ she said.
John concludes, “In Exodus 33, when Moses asked God, “Please show me Your glory,” He answered, ‘You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live…. I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by.’ So whatever your need, those nail-pierced hands are big enough to cover you, too.”
Big Enough
As Danny thinks back, he says, “After John told me that story, it was so clear why he was willing to take time off work to come and help with our evangelistic meetings. He knew very well that God’s hand was big enough to supply his every need while he was working for the Lord.
“There are times when we struggle here, too,” he adds, “and for many years, this story has helped me, personally. When things are tough, I remember that Jesus’ hand is big enough to cover all our financial needs, as well as any other need we may have.”