Higher is Waiting
By Tyler Perry
An intimate book of inspiration by the one and only Tyler
Perry—actor, producer, director, philanthropist, and the creator
of Madea
Higher Is Waiting is a spiritual guidebook, a collection of
teachings culled from the experiences of a lifetime, meant to
inspire readers to climb higher in their own lives and pull
themselves up to a better, more fulfilling place. In this
intimate book, Tyler Perry writes of how his faith has sustained
him in hard times, centered him in good times, and enriched his
life.
Beginning with his earliest memories of growing up a shy boy in
New Orleans, Perry recalls the moments of grace and beauty in a
childhood marked by brutality, deprivation, and fear. With
tenderness he sketches portraits of the people who sustained him
and taught him indelible lessons about integrity, trust in God,
and the power of forgiveness: his aunt Mae, who cared for her
grandfather, who was born a slave, and sewed quilts that told a
story of generations; Mr. Butler, a blind man of remarkable
dignity and elegance, who sold penny candies on a street corner;
and his beloved mother, Maxine, who endured abuse, financial
hardship, and the daily injustices of growing up in the Jim Crow
South yet whose fierce love for her son burned bright and never
dimmed. Perry writes of how he nurtured his dreams and discovered
solace in nature, and of his resolute determination to reach ever
higher.
Perry vividly and movingly describes his growing awareness of
God’s presence in his life, how he learned to tune in to His
voice, to persevere through hard times, and to choose faith over
fear. Here he is: the devoted son, the loving father, the
steadfast friend, the naturalist, the philanthropist, the
creative spirit—a man whose life lessons and insights into
scripture are a gift offered with generosity, humility, and love.