Gift of Another Day: Matthew Hendren

By Haley Fox

Gifts to buy, lights to hang up, a tree to adorn, and a holiday feast to prepare–sometimes the holiday season can feel like one big giant checklist. While all of us put a lot of thought into the gifts we give, the food we make, or the traditions we keep alive–we may not always remember to slow down and simply enjoy the moment. Maybe this is the last holiday celebrating with your kids before they move away to college, or the last year you expect to celebrate with an aging parent or grandparent.

Sometimes the greatest gift we can be given is gratitude. Gratitude to be with loved ones for another season’s festivities. Gratitude to spend more time in their presence– to give them one more gift, see one more smile, and enjoy one more dinner.

For Matthew Hendren, a colorectal cancer diagnosis forced him to slow down and reminded him to be grateful for another year of holiday celebrations—as well as a reminder to treat everyday like a gift. For Matt, his faith is a guiding light through his cancer journey, and the ways his loved ones show up for him, he says, is a way that God shows his love for him. He was kind enough to share his story with us.

Time, Love, and Presence– the Greatest Gifts

Ever since Matt received his diagnosis three years ago, every holiday has felt completely different. His whole perspective shifted, and suddenly the moments he used to rush past became the ones he held closest. What truly matters, he realized, rose to the surface in a way that can’t be explained until you walk this road. Every morning he wakes up feels like a gift from God, another chance to breathe, love, heal and keep going.

The holidays don’t just come and go anymore. They carry meaning, gratitude and a reminder of how precious this life really is.

Through this cancer journey, he said God kept showing him that the real gifts are found in the everyday moments where people choose to show up. Healing is not a one day event. It is a daily walk of faith, and the strength that carries him often comes through the quiet ways God works through others.

On chemo days, seeing people wearing his “Team Matt” shirts gave him a lift he couldn't fully explain. It felt like God whispering that he was surrounded by prayer and love right when he needed it the most. Even on the days when he couldn't look at or think of food, his tribe still brought meals and snacks for the kids. Although he may not be able to eat– the love behind every drop off reminded him that God is providing in ways he could never repay.

People sent him songs they felt led to share, and somehow the lyrics always landed at the perfect time. Care packages show up out of nowhere with notes, devotionals, blankets, or small comforts that spoke straight to his heart. These unexpected gifts reminded him that God sees every detail and uses others to wrap him in His goodness.

“When you are in treatment” he says, “Every day starts to feel like its own holiday because you learn to treasure every act of love. But the moments that stay with me the most are the ones filled with presence. Someone praying with me. Someone sitting quietly during treatment. A message that arrives right when my spirit needs it. A conversation that reminds me I am still me, not just a diagnosis. Those moments become anchors on the hard days.”

What he learned is simple, he says. Time, love, and presence are the greatest blessings we can give and receive. Seeing his tribe rally around him through shirts, meals, songs, prayers, messages, and surprise care packages has carried him in ways they may never fully understand. These are the true gifts.

“God’s goodness showing up through His people, reminding me that I never walk this road alone.”

Thanks Matt for sharing with us, and reminding us to take a breath and express gratitude for the gifts of time, love and presence. Gratitude to live another day, surrounded by the love of those around us. Here at Cancer Bites, we want to invite all our readers to pause, slow down, and find a moment to be grateful for the time we have today.

And of course, we wish you all a very happy holiday season!