How a Son Helped His Father

JAMES, from England, in his early 30’s, has severe mental disabilities and mild autism. Yet, for many years he has attended the meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses with his mother and sister. However, his father had never shown much interest in their beliefs. One evening after a meeting that featured a demonstration showing how to invite an acquaintance to the Memorial of Christ’s death, James quickly went to his room. Anxiously, his mother followed him and found him frantically sorting through old issues of the Watchtower and Awake! magazines. He selected one with a reproduction of a Memorial invitation on the back page and rushed to his father. He pointed first to the picture and then to his father and said “You!” His mother and father looked at each other in amazement as they realized that James was inviting his father to the Memorial. His father said that he might attend.

On the evening of the Memorial, James went to his father’s closet, selected a pair of trousers, took them to his father, and gestured that he should put them on. His father replied that he would not be going to the meeting. Thus, James and his mother set off for the Kingdom Hall alone.

Some time later, however, James became increasingly uncooperative when his mother tried to get him ready to attend congregation meetings, choosing to remain at home with his father instead. Then one Sunday morning, James again refused to cooperate as his mother tried to get him ready for the meeting. To her great surprise, James’ father turned to him and said, “James, if I go to the meeting today, will you go too?” James’ face lit up. He threw his arms around his father and said “Yes!” and all three went off to the Kingdom Hall.

From that day, James’ father continued to attend all the Sunday meetings and soon announced that if he was to make progress, he would have to attend the other meetings too. (Hebrews 10:24, 25) This he did, and two months later he began to study the Bible regularly. He made rapid progress, quickly making the necessary changes in his life, and before long he began sharing in the Kingdom preaching work. One year after he began to study the Bible, he dedicated his life to Jehovah and symbolized this by water immersion. He presently serves as a ministerial servant in his congregation. Now all in the family serve Jehovah unitedly.