Like Mr. Cheval, Clarence E. Willard had a very unusual talent. While his audience watched, he would literally “grow” before their very eyes! Standing behind a wire that was stretched in front of him at forehead level, he would increase his height from 5'10" to 6'4" in a matter of seconds. Somehow, he was able to manipulate the space between his vertebrae to either increase or decrease his height. Not only could he manipulate his vertebrae, but he could also make one arm 4" longer than the other as well as one of his legs. Being totally paralyzed on his left side, he said that he developed this skill as a child in order to compensate.
Willard (1882-1962) performed in many vaudeville shows which were a very popular form of entertainment in the late 1800s to early 1900s. He became quite well-known for his talent, performing in the Barnum and Bailey’s Circus, in the 1939 World’s Fair, and in Ripley’s Believe It or Not show.
Strange Diet
Michel Lotito (1950-2007) gained fame by cultivating an unusual diet of metal, glass and rubber. Doctors determined that he had an eating disorder called pica, which is the psychological desire to consume things that are normally non-digestible and non-nutritive. Doctors determined that the lining of his stomach and intestines was twice as thick as the average person’s. He also had some powerful digestive juices that enabled him to handle his unique diet. Of course, he helped his physical anatomy along by breaking and chewing the pieces of metal, glass and rubber into small chunks and used water with sizeable amounts of mineral oil to slide it down during his feasts.
You would be surprised at what he ate and how much he ate! It all started when he was 9 years old and the drinking glass that he was using broke and shattered. Then, he began to munch on the family’s TV. Things progressed from there, and at 16 years of age, he began to perform publicly. While performing, he would eat approximately 2.2 lbs. of metal daily. It is estimated that between 1959 and 1997, he consumed nearly 9 tons of metal! Here is a list of some of the things that he managed to devour:
1 Coffin, handles and all!
2 beds
7 TVs
6 chandeliers
18 bicycles
15 shopping carts
1 Cessna 150 airplane — this was his most memorable feat and took him two years to consume (1978-1980).
The Guinness Book of Records awarded him a brass plaque for the “strangest diet,” which, you guessed it, he also ate. Michel earned the nickname of Monsieur Mangetout (“Mr. Eat-All”) and lived to the age of 57, dying of natural causes not related to his strange diet.
Credit Where Credit Is Due
Both Mr. Willard and Mr. Lotito were good at turning their handicaps to their advantage, eventually making a living from their work. I hope they had faith in God to save them from their sins as well.
God’s Word tells us that when we use our abilities, talents and the very breath that He has given us to go about our daily lives without acknowledging Him as the Creator God and our need of a Savior, it is sin. It doesn’t matter how gifted or talented we are. It won’t matter how famous we were or even that we just quietly went about our lives making a decent and upright living. God says, “Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else” (Isaiah 45:2222Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. (Isaiah 45:22)). This is what is most important! This is what truly matters!
Two Destinies
Our lives here on earth go by in a flash. God tells us that we will go to either heaven or hell after we die. Those of us that know the Lord as our Savior and have our sins forgiven will go to be with Him in heaven, “for by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:88For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Ephesians 2:8)). Those who have rejected God’s way of salvation will go to hell with the devil and his angels, “who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power” (2 Thessalonians 1:9).
We are all born into this world under Satan’s power and in his domain. But God sent His Son Jesus into the world to shed His precious blood on Calvary’s cross and to die for our sins, rising on the third day. Faith in Jesus is our only way of escape from Satan’s grasp and ending up in the pit of hell. God’s Word tells us that Jesus came “to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified [set apart] by faith in Me [Jesus]” (Acts 26:1818To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. (Acts 26:18)). “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:1313For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13)). This is God’s promise, made out of love for you — have you called on that holy name for forgiveness of your sins?
Existence doesn’t end with death. What we do in this life matters. Three Questions dives more deeply into that truth.