Back in March I was invited to participate in a Habitat For Humanity dedication ceremony. It was a pretty cool event, and I was honored to be included. I thought that would be the end of my direct involvement with Habitat for a while ¹. It turns out this was not the case.

Several weeks ago I was contacted by Ashley Griffiths, the Manager of Family & Volunteer Services for Habitat For Humanity’s New Jersey Chapter, and asked if I would participate in a second dedication ceremony. This time in the neighboring town of Cinnaminson. “You were requested,” the message stated.

After receiving the request I remember texting a friend of mine, “So the oddest thing just happened.”

I don’t mean to say it was “odd bad,” just “odd.” Being requested to reprise my role as the “dedication prayer” must mean I did a decent job with the task. I’d never even considered the idea to be in the realm of possibilities.

I said yes ², and even got to meet the mom who’s moving into the house with her daughter a week or so before the ceremony. It was a good visit, and after our chat I knew for certain Cinnaminson was gaining a terrific resident.

During that meeting, however, I did bring up how the thought of being requested to give a dedication prayer struck me as funny.

She laughed and replied, “Well, you’re normal.” This is something of which I’ve never been accused in forty-four years of life ³. Apparently, I can pass for “normal” in very short spurts.

The dedication was Thursday, and I wrote a nice prayer for the opening ⁴. But I forgot there was a closing prayer as well. When I was called up I grinned and said, “I get to go again?” It was no problem ⁵, I prayed and said thanks for inviting me to participate.

On my way out I was told, “I need to get in touch with you soon. We have another dedication coming up.”

My world is a funny place, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.