I've been lost before. I'll bet you have to. I've been lost in cities, the countryside, and in foreign countries. Thankfully, it always turned out right when I stopped and asked for directions.  One time, I took a chance and followed the car with U.S. plates and it magically drove right by my hotel while in Canada.  Was it luck or the work of an Unseen Hand?

I've also been lost in life.  I wandered away from the safety of the shore and was left wondering exactly how to get back to it.  Tread water and wait for a boat or swim?   I needed to get back to myself, my purpose, what I believed in, and who I really was supposed to become.

I remember the day I gave the information for my dog tags to an administrative person in Chicago. I was in-processing since I didn't actually receive them until I was in Texas.  They take down your name, social security number, birth date, and religious preference.   I told the woman I had no religious preference at the time and she freaked out.  She began to admonish me for not believing, you name it.

I went on to explain that it wasn't that I did not believe but that I had no preference of a religion, not exactly the same thing.  The conversation escalated so much on her part that a supervisor came over to see what the problem was.  He then told the woman to mind her own business and put down my 'no preference' since they were my dog tags and not hers.

I have often looked at those dog tags and thought "I should have put down something".
I definitely regretted it. Yet years later, after I reaffirmed my commitment to the Lord at a non-denominational service, it struck me how the He had used my 'no preference' as a way to bring me closer to Him.

God does have a sense of humor.  He knew where I had been, how I felt with the countless faiths I had delved into and used a service without a specific doctrine to call me firmly into the fold.  Now when I come across my dog tags, I smile at them and run my thumb over the no preference line.  I thank God for finding me where I was.  He validated me and a choice I made.  He made it turn out for His glory and I am always amazed at how He always works things out for good and the good of those He has called.