Not Meet the Need.

One mother had come several times to be at our Toy Sale. She was not here this year. She had overdosed and died in the spring.

Another mother had been beaten by her boyfriend a day before. Another mother had been waiting in line since 2 in the morning just to get some small gifts for her children.

Prayer counselors listened to stories as families shared their holiday joys and also deep challenges. Prayers were offered if the family wanted them. Yet the prayers changed not only the parents, but also the prayer counselors, who were members at Graffiti. The holiday event then became not just about toys, but about something so much more–a real connection.

The core of Graffiti’s Upside Down teaching is “Meet the Need First.” This is different than just “Meet the Need.” We can so concentrate on the outward expressions of ministry, that we end up giving away our own emptiness.

The lead coordinator of all the prayer counselors came to a toy sale at Graffiti years ago, and there prayed to accept the Lord. It all started with a simple need, a need to buy with dignity some gifts at a low price for her children. It became a change in life for her, and through her, a change for our whole neighborhood.

At our toy sale, we had an astonishing result. Fifty-seven of the parents responded to Christ and prayed a prayer of commitment. This response was far far more than we have ever had before at this one event. God bless the churches and groups that do this work all over the country. God bless our partner churches who brought in toys and did much of the logistics.

​We started out talking just about a toy. But it is about something so much more.​