John's Miracle Pt. 3: The Healing

John & Stephanie Butler
Feb 24, 2024
10 min read

Updated: Mar 4

If you haven’t read Part 1 or Part 2, we encourage you to go back and read those first. But if you’re short on time, here is the brief version.

I (John) was in a van rollover accident and fractured two vertebrae. I spent 10 days in the hospital before finally being released to go home. During that time, and in the weeks that followed, Stephanie and I experienced so many examples of God’s favor, provision, and faithfulness that we have only scratched the surface in sharing them.

On the ride home from the hospital, we talked about all the incredible ways God had carried us. We were genuinely excited and deeply grateful that I was well enough to come home. The ride itself went better than I expected, thanks in part to putting the physical therapist’s instructions into practice about how to get in and out of the car with as little back movement as possible.

Being Home

I arrived home and carefully made my way out of the car, up the two steps in the garage, and into the house. Again, it went better than I expected. I was so thankful to be home.

The living room looked different now. There was an adjustable hospital bed in the middle of the room and an electric lift recliner—what my dad affectionately called a “granny launcher.” To this day, that is still what we call a lift recliner. Of course, our dog Jake was thrilled to have me home again.

I think I expected that being home would automatically make me feel better. What I had not fully considered was how constant the pain would still be. Trying to sleep was difficult. I would wake up in the middle of the night, hurting. Lying down and sitting up remained the hardest and most painful parts of the day. Even with the brace—removing the rigid one at night and switching to the cloth TLSO brace—the pain was unlike anything I had experienced before.

Stephanie gathered tools and supplies to make the transition easier: devices to help me reach socks without bending, a walker, and side rails for the commode. Even so, everything was still difficult. The walker was awkward for me, especially when I needed to turn. The simplest routines took effort. Still, we believed healing would come in time, and I held on to the hope that one day life would feel normal again.

The Doctor

When they discharge you from the hospital, they require a treatment plan. We were instructed to make several doctor appointments, including a follow-up with the neurosurgeon who had initially treated me in the ER. We went about calling and scheduling, again, wanting to make sure we were doing all we could to follow the hospital's instructions. Our church believes in a "Spiritual and Natural Balance," so along with following those instructions, we continued to pray. I had several large bandages that had to be replaced because blisters formed from the brace. Every evening, when we changed the bandages, Stephanie would pray over my back. We thanked God for life and asked for complete healing.

My first follow-up visit with the neurosurgeon was about a week after I had been discharged from the hospital. He took X-rays and explained that we would do so before every visit to check for shifting of the vertebrae or other changes in my spine. The first set of X-rays showed that my vertebrae, while crushed, were stable. He said he had no concerns about me meeting with a PT and explained that I had to be careful. Falling or injuring myself again could cause the vertebrae to shift. He was earnest when he said, "If you experience ANY numbness or tingling in your feet or legs, call us immediately." Nothing like the threat of paralysis to ensure you follow the doctor's orders.

The Physical Therapist

The next appointment we were required to schedule was with an outpatient PT. Our first PT visit was a week after the follow-up with the neurosurgeon. At this point, I was still in a full back brace, using a walker.

The PT did a full assessment of my capabilities and pain level. He explained that there was little in the way of full therapy we could do until I had been removed from my TLSO brace. He observed me walking with my walker and had me stand with it, sit with it, and walk around a small track. I explained that I was unable to navigate our 12 steps upstairs and that would be one of the things I would like to be able to do. He noted all of this and gave me some core strengthening exercises. I would need to do very gentle movements, but wearing the brace would weaken my core. Once my brace was removed, I would need those muscles to support my spine, so that we would start there.

He asked that we set weekly appointments so he could monitor my progress, and once I was cleared to remove the brace, we would begin more challenging tasks. On my next visit, a week later, I explained I was still using the walker but not getting used to it. I still wanted to lift it to navigate around things, and it was awkward to use. I also shared that I had been trying to stand more unassisted, doing things like helping Stephanie in the kitchen and standing to cut vegetables, etc. This tired me quickly, but it gave me a sense that I was returning to normal. Always, these were accompanied by pain. He noted all this and told me to keep working on the provided exercises. I seemed to be healing well.

During the following week's visit, Stephanie purchased a cane. We were hopeful that the PT would approve of moving to something other than the walker. When I explained the struggle with the walker, he had me do a lap around the gym with it. He said, "It seems like the walker is just getting in your way." He agreed that moving to a cane would be a good idea. He seemed amazed that the accident had occurred only one month earlier and was impressed with my progress. He even had me test going up and down a few steps. I could navigate these, and he noted that if we felt comfortable, with Stephanie monitoring me, I could navigate up and down the stairs, never unattended.

I felt fantastic! Within a month of the accident, I was able to make it upstairs to sleep in my own bed!! AND we joked that I had "graduated" to a cane. We left that appointment even more hopeful about God's healing. We could see it happening and understood it might be a slow process, but it was happening. But there was still the pain.

The Healing

Our church will occasionally have a guest pastor come and speak. We attend a non-denominational church, Center for Hope International Ministries, in Bloomington, IL. We believe in the gifts of the Spirit and that God is still healing miraculously. So, when our church hosted guest Pastor DJ Bagwell for a Miracle Service, we knew we would be attending. God does miracles every day (still), and we knew I could be healed. During our church's prayer call that morning, Pastor Bagwell dialed in to share he knew God had healing for someone. Later, our friend shared, "I prayed it would be John."

Stephanie and I went expecting God to do something amazing. We could feel the Lord's presence as we worshiped Him. Pastor Bagwell then explained he would be calling people up who wanted prayer for healing. He explained that some may feel heat as they lift their hands. He called up people with back pain. I knew this was my time, and I made my way up, with many others, to the altar. I lifted my hands in surrender to what God would do. I remember Pastor Bagwell saying, "This is not a show," trying to help us understand that this is God, not him, doing the healing. I remember him praying for others beside me. I remember him saying that you may feel heat in the area of your injury or pain.

He turned to me, and because I was in my TLSO brace, it was clear I had a back injury. I raised my hands, and when he started praying over me. I knew God was healing me. As Pastor Bagwell continued to pray, I felt unsteady. If you have been to this type of service, you have often seen people fall, which, as we already know, would not have been ideal for me. I was surrounded by men from our church, who, just in case, were there to ensure I didn't fall and reinjure myself. Pastor Bagwell continued to pray and, with one swipe of his hand, said, "I remove the spirit of death." That's really the last thing I remember in those next few seconds. I stumbled but didn't fall. I made my way back to Stephanie and joyfully said, "I am healed!!" We both were stunned. Was it that simple?

The doctors had told me it would be a full year before I could expect to be healed and back to normal. The healing service was two months after the van accident. I was using a cane to help me balance when walking, and I was on a daily regimen of pain pills when I walked into the sanctuary that night. I walked out, still being obedient to use my cane, but my pain was gone.

After the service, I was ecstatic. Pain-free. PAIN FREE!! I was thrilled with just that. During the following PT appointment, I explained how my pain was gone and that I was doing really well. I was not struggling with balance, standing, or any daily movements. The PT was amazed at my progress. He assigned me a few more core exercises and released me from using my cane. We kept to bi-weekly visits until my doctor released me from wearing my TLSO rigid brace.

Each month, I went back to my neurosurgeon for an X-ray and a follow-up. He'd ask the same questions, and I would give the same answers. No pain, I'm doing well. Now, as I had mentioned earlier in Part One of this story. We were supposed to go on our church's marriage retreat to the Dominican Republic at the beginning of June. Because we were still only two months from the accident, the doctor advised that I would need to come back the day before our trip for another X-ray, but that I was cleared to travel. We'd plan to purchase an extra seat because there's not much room with the rigid brace and being squeezed next to someone for 4 hours seemed like a bad idea. BUT I was going!! Just like Bishop told me I would!!!

At my next visit in June, the neurosurgeon asked how things were going and checked the X-rays. He, again, said everything looked good, and he was happy with how my pain had subsided and with the PT's glowing report. Continued progress, doing very well at more advanced tasks, and improving in everything. With that, the doctor let me know that I would be transitioned out of my rigid brace and would, at hour increments, be wearing my cloth brace, starting today. When flying, we asked, "I'm to wear the hard brace, right? Then switch once we arrive?" He explained that I would not need to travel with or wear my rigid brace again. I would be OK to travel with the cloth brace and to increase my time without it by 1 hour each day. By the end of the month, I could expect to no longer wear the cloth brace.

We were stunned. We had fully expected to be traveling, needing the rigid brace, and being told it was no longer needed, and I would be without any brace in a month was an unexpected gift.

The trip to the Dominican Republic was such a blessing. Just 3 months prior, I was in a hospital bed, unable to lift my head without excruciating pain. In June, I found myself at an all-inclusive resort, looking out at the ocean and appreciating how much God loves me.

As of this writing, we are a month away from the first anniversary of the accident. I am still without any pain in my back. I returned to work and have resumed all of my normal activities. Stephanie and I prayed that God would allow me to return to "normal". "Normal" for me was that I used to have days when I would come home from work in the warehouse with soreness in my lower back. Since my healing, I no longer have those days. My back feels better than ever.

God didn't bring me back to "normal"; he made me healed, whole, and better than I was before because he loves me that much.

Friends, if you’ve stayed with us through this entire series, thank you. We would truly love to hear from you. Feel free to leave a comment and let us know how this testimony impacted you.

Before we close, we want to leave you with this:

No matter what religious confusion, hurt, or hypocrisy you may have encountered, please do not confuse broken people with Jesus. People are flawed. Jesus is not.

Jesus loves you, not with the inconsistent love people often show, but with a perfect and unconditional love.

You do not have to clean yourself up before coming to Him.
You do not have to perform for Him.
You do not have to earn His love.

Salvation has been made far more complicated by people than Scripture makes it. So if this story leaves you with nothing else, let it leave you with this truth: God loves you. He wants a real relationship with you. He is not asking you to fix yourself first. He is inviting you to surrender to Him and receive His love.

If you have tried everything else, why not finally try the One who truly changes lives? Receive Jesus as your Savior and watch what He will do. And when He moves in your life, tell somebody.

Prayer of Salvation

God, I admit I’ve gone my own direction and tried to do things my way instead of Yours. Because of my sin, I haven’t been able to have a real relationship with You. Please forgive me for my wrong choices. I’m tired of living without You. I believe You sent Your only Son, Jesus, to die as a payment for my sin and to bridge the gap between us. I believe You raised Jesus from the dead and, in doing so, conquered death forever. I confess there is no way to Heaven but through Your Son. Please take over in my life and help me follow You in every way. Amen!

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