I got the following letter from Tyler Perry today and I thought I’d share it with all of you. If you don’t know who Tyler Perry is, you must live under a rock because his movies are everywhere. EVERYWHERE. Enough of what I have to say. The purpose of this post is for you to get the message that he’s conveying. Check it out:
Hey TJ,
Sorry I haven’t written one of these in a while. Working the hours that I do and trying to be the best father that I can, I had to pull back on some things. I hope you understand. Anyway, onto the reason that I’m writing.
Everyone who knows me knows that I’m very difficult to shop for. It’s not because I’m choosey, it’s just that I’ve been very fortunate in my life and I usually have all the cool stuff already. So I tell all my friends and family that my gifts of choice are handwritten, from the heart, letters. I love getting them and no one handwrites anything anymore.
Anyway, someone gave me a gift about two years ago, and it wasn’t a letter. I thanked them for it and I put it in the trunk of my car with every intention of opening it when I got home. Well, I got home and got busy. I’m almost embarrassed to say that I forgot about this gift for quite some time. Part of the reason why was because it had fallen into a small bin area in my trunk, practically tucked in a corner, totally hidden.
One day I was looking for something else and I found that gift, this gift that I didn’t even know I had. I opened it and called the person that gave it to me to thank them for such a great gift and to apologize for not calling sooner. She said “you that damn busy?” We had a good laugh. Once I opened it, I realized it was not only something that I didn’t have, but something that I could and would use a great deal. I was super excited. I could tell you what the gift is, but that’s not as important as what I thought about when I found it. This gift that has become so valuable in my life and had been with me all that time, tucked away and hidden. Everywhere I went I had it with me and didn’t even know it, even when there were days that I really could have used it. Days where it would have made my life better, I didn’t know it was there.
With all these thoughts in my head, I couldn’t help but to think about all of us who have gifts inside of us that are tucked away and hidden. Gifts that we have never used, gifts that have been given by God, gifts that are special, gifts that can not only change your life but the world. Yet we leave them hidden, tucked away in the corners of our souls.
As you leave 2016 and enter into 2017, why not commit to searching your soul for all of your gifts, even the hidden ones, and begin to use them, no matter what people say, no matter who judges you for it and no matter what people think? Use the gifts that God has given you to help spread some hope and love and joy to this world. Boy, do we need it.
Merry CHRISTmas and a Happy New Year to you all. Thank you for an amazing 2016.
Tyler
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On April 11, 2014, Weems and Eberhart responded to a domestic violence call in the Atlanta suburb. Another officer was also present. Gregory Towns ran and was apprehended. According to Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard, after apprehending Gregory,the officers handcuffed him. They demanded him to stand and walk to a waiting patrol car. Gregory indicated that he was out of breath and could not stand. Both officers used their tasers on Gregory, and even after attempting to walk but collapsing, the officers continued to tase him.
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