Sterling Heights, MI

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The following story comes to us from Adam, President of SPSE:

Recently, our staff at SPSE ordered some new graphic tees with messages on them that help encourage people struggling with mental health and hopefully spark conversations. I wanted our staff to wear them and see if people responded positively to them.

This past weekend, I had a good interaction inspired by one of those shirts. I was wearing one of the tees when a young man rang the doorbell at my house. The shirt, a bright shade of bright yellow, had our SPSE logo on the front and an image of a brain with squiggly lines inside (representing racing or anxious thoughts) with the words, “How are you doing…really?” below it. After the young man asked his questions for a survey, I inquired about his name and how things were going. Anthony said he was just trying to keep his head above water. He noticed my shirt and said he appreciated the message.

While we were making small talk, I noticed his tattoo of a rosary on his forearm. When I asked if he was Catholic, he said he wasn’t. So I proceeded to ask if he had a devotion to the rosary, which surprisingly he didn’t. He explained that he was trying to have a fresh start in life. He had a few not-so-desirable tattoos, and he chose the rosary to cover them up. I told him that’s great, and explained that the rosary is a devotion that helps us grow closer to Jesus. I told him there are some great churches nearby, and asked if he lived around here. He didn’t, but lived in an area I was familiar with, so I shared the names of a few churches that he could try. Then I gave him my contact information if he wanted to stay in touch, or had any questions about the faith.

The world is hurting so much right now, my hope is that these t-shirts give people permission to talk about their struggles.

Praised be Jesus Christ!