Jairo's eyes His Way to Serve God -AS TOLD BY HIS BROTHER SAMUEL RUIZ-LEON ARROYO

A WAY OF COMMUNICATION OPENS

Our parents are Jehovah's Witnesses, and they have been reading Bible stories to Jairo ever since he was a baby.  They always knew that life is  more meaningful when one has a relationship with God.  Jairo was trapped in a  frail body that jerked continually, but he could have a bright, solid hope for the future. However, they often wondered if Jairo could grasp Bible knowledge.  One day, when Jairo was a child, Dad asked him, "Jairo, can you please talk to me?" Then he added, "If you really love me, you will!" As Dad begged him to say at least one word, tears welled up in Jairo's eyes. Though he tried to express his feelings with words, he could only mutter guttural sounds. Father felt bad for having made Jairo cry.  But that reaction showed that Jairo understood what Father had said. The problem was that he could not speak.

Before long, our parents noticed that Jairo at times moved his eyes rapidly in an apparent attempt to convey his thoughts and feelings. It was frustrating for Jairo that he could not always make himself understood.  But when my parents learned to decipher his eye signals and get him what he needed, Jairo's face would beam with a broad grin. It was his way of saying thank you. 

A speech therapist suggested that for better communication, we should raise both hands in the air when asking him a yes-or-no question. The right hand means yes, the left hand no. Thus he could express his wishes by fixing his eyes on the proper hand. 

Next time: Jairo's Eyes His Way to Serve God-   A MILESTONE IN JAIRO'S LIFE

From the Watchtower magazine, 2015