The Tallest Man I Ever Knew –Part II

Imagine, if you can, a man so big that he wore a size 10 hat, a size 64 suit, a size 20 shoe on the right and a 21 on the left. He had a 22 inch neck, a 50 inch chest, a 49 inch waist and hands that were 19 inches long. That was Max Palmer! No matter how many times I ate a meal with him or took him somewhere I never ceased to be amazed at his size.

At 17 Max was the tallest basketball player on any high school team. He literally towered above everyone. One would think that Max was the most popular kid in school and headed for superstardom.

Beginning in grade 6 his years in school were not always easy because he was different. Being different meant never fitting in and always being teased. That early treatment by many who knew him caused him to become a heavy drinker. By his early twenties Max was in and out of trouble including jail.

By the early 1950’s Max’s size opened doors in Hollywood as he appeared in several movies. He was always a little scary when people would first see him but for the movies he needed to be “real scary.” With a little make-up he would easily become the malevolent giant or a huge killer ape!

After Hollwood, professional wrestling and several years as a bouncer in a night-club in Kansas City Max ended up in the hospital with some serious health issues. It was only after hearing how much God loved a giant that Max made the most important decision of his life when he accepted Jesus as his personal savior. He was a changed man after that. For the first time in his life he had purpose and direction. He spent several years traveling the country sharing his story in churches and schools. As “Goliath for Christ” he used to tell audiences “I used to play the piano, but I hardly pick one up anymore!”

In 1986 Max went in the hospital for his annual physical and while there contracted staff infection. Within a short period of time the infection was throughout his body and to the surpise of all his friends, Max died. His funeral was a memorable one. A backhoe lowered the grand piano case containing Max’s body into the ground.

I often remember those years of knowing him and recall the huge amount of food he ate every two hours, the look on someone’s face when they first saw the giant, his sense of humor as he scared people and his love for the Lord.

I think one of the reasons that he and I became friends is that we were opposites. He was at least two and a half feet taller than I am. We could not have been more different and yet it was our differences that connected us. Like Max, though, I had been teased during Junior and Senior High School. Like Max I felt that being short made me a freak. And like Max I found peace and acceptance in Christ. As much as Max learned to accept his size I learned that being short has great benefits. I always tell the short jokes first and make friends easily with little kids. Through the years I’ve had the privilege of telling a number of teenagers who was trying to deal with being short or being very tall, that God does love them and that they are specifically designed to be exactly who they are. What a blessing it has been to see a teen wounded by teasing to finally be able to accept themselves. In Jeremiah God said “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you.” Knowing that God made you the way He wanted you can help you face the teasing and the ridicule that the world loves to throw out.

Max was unique and so are you!

The Tallest Man I Ever Knew

I will never forget the first time I saw Max Palmer. He wasn’t just "big" he was HUGE! He had to stoop down to walk in a normal double doorway. Little did I know that after being introduced to him we would strike up a friendship that would last for many years.

I soon discovered that if Max sat in a church pew and I stood beside him we were the same size! Shoulder to shoulder my middle finger was two inches short of his elbow. When he stood up my head came to his waist and when I would put on his sport coat the side pockets would lay flat on the floor. I could slide his ring over three of my fingers and his shoes were longer than two of mine. At nearly 8 feet tall, weighing over 450 pounds Max was the biggest man I had ever seen or known.

His car had no front seat and to ride with him was an introduction into how much carpet they actually put in automobiles. The first time we had a meal together (something he did every two hours or so) I had a two piece chicken dinner and he ordered a bucket.

Not only was Max big but he had a great sense of humor. Occasionally when he would need a ride somewhere I would take him in an old pick-up. I would move the seat all the way back and put five or six pillows behind me so I could reach the pedals. That would leave Max enough room to get his legs in with his knees sticking up above the dashboard. Often at stoplights he would have the window down and reach out and pat the top of the car beside us. The first reaction of many drivers was to either run the light or just sit there and scream. Max loved it and never seemed to tire of ways to surprise people.

Growing up wasn’t easy for him. He was always the tallest kid and was picked on by most people in the Mississippi town where he grew up. His adult life was dominated by jobs that took him from Hollywood to professional wrestling. Max handled his fame by drinking and by his late 30’s it had begun to take a toll on his body which finally resulted in a hospital stay for a very sick giant. Tired of years of being teased and taken advantage of, Max had become depressed which had made him drink even more. Life at this point had little meaning or purpose.

A local pastor was visiting a church member one day when a hospital staffer told him about Max. The pastor stopped by for a visit and for the first time in his life Max heard the story of Jesus who loved him so much He went to the cross to die for him. Not long after that he made the life changing decision to accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior.

Once out of the hospital Max began to attend church and was asked to share his story. That opportunity opened a door for the giant to travel all over the country and share what God had done for him. In the years that followed he became known as "Goliath for Christ"!

Although you may never have known a real giant like Max most of us during our lifetime are confronted with giants. We know their names. They have names like: disease, divorce, family problems, finances, economy, heartache, and job loss to mention a few. They are big and frightening as they rob us of joy and hope. Once you have encountered a few of these giants you are often wounded and don’t know where to turn. Your days are empty and the nights are long as you seek answers to giants you never knew you would meet. You look for answers and seem to find none and have wondered if there is any hope. Take heart, there is!

Max found the answer that day in his hospital room when he heard the God's wonderful plan of salvation. Perhaps you're at a crossroads in your life and see no hope and no way out. Your burden is too heavy and there appears to be no rest available. If this all sounds painfull familiar than you need to know what Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” I hope you'll join Max and so many of us who have found the answer for life and eternity.

Next post I'll share more of the story of the tallest man I ever knew.