I’m communications chair for United Way of Bedford County. I helped to found the group back around 1990, then I dropped out of it for a while (except for our in-house fund-raising campaign at the T-G), then I rejoined the board last year.

Our big news this month is that Shelbyville has been selected as a luncheon stop for the Tennessee Titans Caravan, and the luncheon will be a fund-raiser for United Way. “Voice of the Titans” Mike Keith will emcee the luncheon, and a player or assistant coach (to be named later, as they say in the football business) will make a few remarks. Mascot T-Rac will be there, and there will be a silent auction of Titans memorabilia.

We had a meeting today to discuss the project, and our executive director handed out a list of responsibilities. I noticed that my name appeared next to “Invocation,” with me listed as being a United Methodist layspeaker.

“Does this mean that I’m doing the invocation, or that it’s my job to recruit one of our local clergy to do it?”

“I was hoping you would do it,” she said. “I really liked your invocation at the campaign kickoff breakfast last fall.”

To tell you the truth, I’d completely forgotten that I had done the invocation at the kickoff breakfast. But I was really touched that Dawn would think enough to ask me to pray for this kind of event. It was just the kind of boost I needed this week.