Lost

    "I need your driver's license," she said in tone I would have expected after her 50th contact of the day instead of her 4th.
     "So do I, " was my just-barely-disguised sarcastic reply as I handed her the Application for Replacement of Lost/Stolen Driver's License.
     She backed off and softened her tone before telling me I needed to give her $25.  Ten minutes later I was out the door with my piece of paper declaring that I really am a valid California driver even if I was stupid enough to lose the one with the picture.
     It shouldn't have been that simple.  I had dug out my passport and social security card, set the alarm for earlier than I had wanted to get up and combed my hair for the dreaded driver's license picture only to discover that none of that was necessary.  The clerk simply typed in my old driver's license number and up popped my picture and more information about me than I probably wanted her to be privy to.
     The next day I requested a new ATM card from the bank, and three credit cards from the appropriate institutions.  I spent about 30 minutes total getting all that done.  Everyone I had spoken to had warned me of interminable conversations with rude and incompetent people, endless phone calls and piles of paperwork.  I was done with all the important stuff in less than an hour's time.  Oh sure, I still have to replace the Safeway Club card so I can get the 3¢ off each gallon, but nobody can chalk up a huge bill on any of my credit cards.
     I do have to write off the $60 or so that was in the wallet.  And I have to get a new health care card to replace the one that was only about 3 days old.  And, oh yeah, I have to replace my hunting license.  I lost it last year and had to purchase a new one at full cost because I had not removed the duplicate from the back of it.  So this year I tore that duplicate off before I even left the counter...but now I can't remember what I did with it.
     Here's my biggest concern:  I really don't believe I dropped my wallet.  I believe I set it down someplace in the house and something out of the ordinary happened to it after that.  So, while I feel bad about not having the money that was in it and having to replace some items, I have this slight, but constant, sick feeling in my stomach in anticipation of finding it and having to admit that I did something stupid to create this mess.  Oh well, it's a feeling not exactly foreign to me.
     It's amazing, isn't it, that God will watch out for careless and/or stupid people, protecting us from the huge consequences of our actions or inactions while allowing us to learn some lessons from those activities?  So, what's my lesson?  Strangely enough, I don't believe it has anything to do with carelessness.  I honestly don't believe I did anything out of the ordinary with that wallet.  But trusting him and having patience with the processes of life have touched me.  Thank you, Lord.
    There's one last thing to do:  Buy another wallet.  Maybe I'll get one with a big chain attached to it.  Man, I'll look really cool!