Imagine not being able hear sound.  You cannot hear anything.  Obviously, communication with others is extremely difficult because you can’t hear words that are being spoken.

A deaf person can learn to give and receive communication by learning a language: sign language.  This language employs signs made with the hands and other movements, including facial expressions and postures of the body, to communicate messages.

Charles Ryals, Sr. was proficient in sign language.  He worked with the Vocational Rehabilitation Service, the largest division within the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services, to help Alabamians with disabilities achieve independence through employment.   His special focus was working with the deaf and blind.

As a skillful “signer,” Charles was able to communicate with people with which many others could not.  By communicating in sign language with those who were deaf, he was able to assist them in navigating through the challenges of their lives.

A sign, at its basic definition, simply points to something.  Signs in sign language “point” to the words and ideas that are being communicated.  By the way that he lived, Charles Ryals, a proficient “signer,” pointed to things that mattered most to him.  His life pointed to:

Love for family.  One of his grandsons, David Geary, said of him: “As I think about my grandfather and who he was, the most memorable thing about him to me was how much he loved and cared for my grandmother.  It seemed that he lived every moment of his life to serve her and care for her - even well before her illness.  It didn’t seem that she could do a thing without him saying, “Here, let me do that for you.”  His love for her was by far the thing that I will remember the most about him.  I don't know that I have ever seen a man have and show as much love for a woman as my grandfather did for my grandmother.  That means a lot to me.  He was a great example.”  His children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren all testify of his great love for them.  They all loved him in return.

Wise counsel.  “His ability to guide us in giving advice as a compassionate and concerned person was always so gracious and gentle,” said grandson David Geary.  Family members were not the only recipients of his wisdom.  Many friends and church members benefitted from his compassionate counsel.

Love for God and people.  Above all, Charles Ryals sought to point others to God through his words and his actions.  Many will testify (including me) that he did a marvelous job.  He helped many “see” Jesus more clearly.  Celeste Chandler said of him, “When I think of Charles, so many words describe him: Godly, sweet-spirited, quiet, soft-spoken, gentle, caring, a true gentleman, a friend to all – a very dear friend to me.”  These words have been echoed by many.

What is the best thing you and I can do?  Follow the signs.  Follow Charles Ryals as he followed Christ.

Place your faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31) who died on the cross for our sins.  Turn from your sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  Then, follow Jesus as a way of life, walking in the light of His Word.  “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Messages received, Charles Ryals, Sr.  The signs have been clear.  Thank you for communicating these truths in such profound, unmistakable ways.

-- David A. Sargent

* In loving memory of Charles Edwin Ryals, Sr. (October 28, 1927 - October 10, 2019).  Thank you for communicating what a Christ-honoring life looks like.  Until we meet again.

David A. Sargent, Minister

Church of Christ at Creekwood 
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama  36695

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