Life threw me into a storm before I even had the chance to find my footing. Born to two young and wounded parents, I entered a world filled with pain and chaos. My mother was only 17 and my father 19 when they married. By the time my mother was 24, I was born into a household scarred by relentless arguments and physical abuse.
Living in such an environment was unbearably hard for me, especially as a young boy. Witnessing my mother being belittled and beaten was a torment that drove me to create a small refuge under our house. I painted it robin egg blue, hoping to escape into a world of imagination where I could run through fields and forests, far from the pain that echoed above me.
Despite the darkness, there was a spark of beauty in my escapism. Little did I know, those moments of imagination would become the cornerstone of my future. Today, as I write scripts and create shows like “The Haves and the Have Nots” and “If Loving You Is Wrong,” I tap into that wellspring of creativity born from my childhood pain.
Inspired by an episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show, I began journaling as a form of catharsis, using fictional names to mask my own experiences. In 1993, I moved to Atlanta with a dream to produce a play about adult survivors of child abuse. Despite pouring all my savings into it, the play failed to attract an audience, and I lost everything, including my car and sense of security.
For years, I persisted, staging the play in small towns and enduring countless rejections and financial setbacks. Each time, I asked God for guidance and took leaps of faith, quitting jobs to pursue my passion despite constant failures. One defining moment came in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where a hurricane threatened to cancel my show. I ended up homeless, sleeping in my car, questioning my faith and my future.
In 1998, I got one last chance at the House of Blues. Feeling defeated and ready to quit, I heard God’s voice telling me to look out the window. To my astonishment, a line of people stretched around the block. The show sold out repeatedly, marking a turning point in my life.
The breakthrough came when I finally forgave my father. Holding onto resentment had fueled my creative fire, but it also held me back. When I told my father, “I forgive you,” a profound shift occurred within me. Forgiveness, I realized, was not for him but for me. It freed me from the past and allowed me to seek positivity and purpose.
From then on, my work flourished. I no longer relied on negativity but embraced a positive outlook. Every setback, I realized, was a stepping stone guided by God’s grace. My journey taught me that persistence, faith, and forgiveness can transform even the darkest experiences into a life of fulfillment and success.
So, if you’re struggling and feel like giving up, remember this: don’t. Honor your dreams, for they are God’s whispers to your soul. Even in the darkest moments, keep climbing and maintaining your faith, for miracles often come when we least expect them.