If it weren't for Kirk and his music, I really don't know where I would be. I grew up in the church even attending church school. When the church turned on me for doing what was right at the age of 16 - rebuking gossip, I vowed that I would never return. At 18, I had a child out of wedlock and everyone, family, friends, and especially the church rejected me completely. All but my mother. Due to abuse I experienced from a young age, I always struggled with dark, protracted periods of depression, but at this point, it became worse. There were many nights I cried myself to sleep only to wake up and realise I never stopped crying, fresh tears rolling down my cheeks before I even opened my eyes. At age 20, I went back to the choir and tried my best, but I couldn't handle the blatant hypocrisy... and then came Kirk Franklin and the Family reminding me of the reasons why I sang. When the burdens were too heavy for me to bear, I prayed and cried out to Him to watch over me and protect me from the things I could not see. Since that time, I suffered so much more rejection and pain. And though I didn't get it right necessarily, trust me when I say Kirk's albums kept me ALIVE!! Through it all, every single album that has Kirk's name on it has borne a piece of my testimony.

You see, I realized from a very young age that I was not meant to fit in. Though I've always been popular and easily attract people, I am non-conformist by nature and very direct and as a result, always find myself on the outside looking in - lonely and alone in the midst of a crowd. Kirk's expression of his feelings of loneliness and exclusion have always struck a chord with me and made me feel as though at least one person has seen me...i mean really seen ME...and understood. As a direct result of Kirk's body of work, I went on to study music in college having decided to take the choir ministry seriously. Regardless, I ended up leaving the choir after 5 years due to a throat injury. Moreover, the choir drama turned me off completely from the church and though I missed the deep spiritual connection I felt to God that I experienced through music, I could not bear to face those people that had lied on me, stabbed me in the back, and generally made my life a living hell. I did try to ask the church for spiritual guidance, but unfortunately for me, I walked in on the person who was to counsel me in bed with the youth pastor and I was past done with it all for good.

Well, now I am 35 years old and world weary. I'm tired of not living for God but not ascribing to Satan's plans either. It is said that if you don't stand for something, you'll stand for anything. Thank you Kirk for standing for God, for His Monday to Friday people struggling to live the life (not just the Sunday posers) and especially for someone like myself who can say that their closest friends are Jesus and your music. Because of your music and your ministry, I will be returning to the choir in a number of weeks. I am even considering attending church. Baby steps to Jesus. I hope that before I die, one day, I will be able to sing Kirk a song, even if it's as corny as Happy Birthday.

So Mr. Franklin: Thank you for saving my life. Thank you for reminding me of why I love music. Thank you for keeping it REAL. Thank you for speaking my language. Thank you for putting my feelings into words and song. Thank you for falling and getting back up without shame. Thank you for giving me the voice to call on Him. Thank you for giving me the words to speak to Him. Thank you for helping me break the cycle of depression with music and God alone - NO PROZAC. Thank you for putting a human face on the struggles we all face. Thank you for your ministry. Thank you for truth.
THANK YOU!!