Matt Rhodes knows what it’s like to encounter the unexpected and wonder where to look for help. Here’s his story in his own words:

Five years ago I got a phone call that changed my life. It was the Monday after Thanksgiving in 2011. I was standing in downtown Littleton on a chilly afternoon getting ready to walk into a client’s office. It was my last appointment of the day and then I was heading home to my family. I saw my doctor’s phone number as I pulled my phone out of my pocket.

It was a call I had been waiting for but didn’t want to answer. With my hands shaking, I answered the call. 

The voice on the other end said, “We got the results of your biopsy back. We found cancerous cells.”
I felt a cold sweat break out on my forehead. My heart started pounding. I was confused and wasn’t sure how to respond. 
“Cancerous cells? Wait, does that mean… I have cancer?”

“Yes… It’s cancer.” I felt dazed. My mind started racing, “What does this mean?”

Then my confusion turned to fear. “How any I going to support my family? I own my own company. How am I going to take time off to get treatment? How are we going pay our bills?” 

Fast forward a few months. As I was recovering from a successful surgery to remove the cancer, our family experienced one of the most tangible outpourings of God’s love that we’ve ever felt. For us, His grace was expressed by our church rallying around us. 

They brought us meals. They prayed for us. They even helped pay for groceries while I was recovering from surgery. Our family often looks back on that time as one of the most significant lessons God has taught us about His grace: God takes care of us through His people.

I’m giving to the WatchCare fund on Giving Tuesday because I know the fear and uncertainty of wondering how to support my family when faced with an unexpected crisis. I want other families in our church to experience what it is like to be engulfed in God’s love expressed through His church rallying around them when they need it the most.

I hope you’ll join in giving to WatchCare on Tuesday, November 29. 

Give online online or text 28950 with the message MHCCARE and a dollar amount (e.g. MHCCARE75).