I was watching the movie Jobs, the biopic of Apple’s founder Steve Jobs and one scene in particular really hit me. The scene where current CEO John Sculley , Mike Markkula and the rest of the board went around the table deciding the fate of Steve Jobs with a show of hands. The scene pauses at Mike Markulla’s turn to see if he would support Jobs. You could see the betrayal in eyes of Jobs as each board member including Mike Markulla sides with Sculley which results in Jobs removal from the Macintosh project and demotion. Ouch!

Does this scene sound familiar? Ever been in this place?

The scene was different and the people were different, but the betrayal wasn’t. It was December of 2009, I was a VP in a global organization and it was a difficult time for my team and I. We had been placed under the microscope of an outside assessment from the powers above.

Even with all that I had been through with the Lord over the years with my divorce and all, I still found myself in a place where my mind wandered into the labyrinth of “what ifs”. As hard as I tried to control my fears I didn’t know where to go from here. I thought my title and years of dedication to this company was the way it was and I had to live inside the world as I knew it.

The day came where I found myself sitting across from my boss, my John Sculley, listening to his stumbled narrative that the organization was planning to bring in someone over me. The tough part… no one went to bat for me!

I spent most of the night laying in bed staring out the window, processing what had just happened and wrestling with God. I wrestled with shame, rejection and the chunk of my pride that was chipped away. I wrestled with the unfair realization the deck was stacked against me through this assessment because I would not waiver on my integrity. The company moved into a place where they wanted me to deliver narratives that were half-truths and I wouldn’t. I also refused to drink the kool-aid of executive management. When you go against the grain long enough, you find yourself on the outside looking in really fast. I do take full accountability for my piece in all of this, but in my mind it wasn’t an equitable outcome.

It was like a raging sea rising up right in front of me wanting to pull me in. My prayer was simply, “Lord, let the waters rise if You want them to…I will still follow You!” This was not an easy prayer to say at all! Life had placed me in check mate and all I had to lean on was my trust in God. When faith doesn’t see results it challenges what we believe. In these life situations, we can be comforted from what Job prayed: “Teach me what I cannot see” (Job 34:32). I am learning that there is a purpose in everything we go through.

Lets roll the tape forward a bit…

He has blessed me a greater trust in Him, a great new job that gives me more time with my family and a really awesome ministry with Heartstone Journey. I never would have thought that on the other side of this event that my stories would be used by God to touch thousands of people; to share hope to a hurting world through the power of story. Because I put my trust in God, He has shown me that the world doesn’t have to be the way it is and I can influence it. God used this event in my life to break me free of the mundane and to step into His story. I am having the time of my life and I will never be the same again.

I’ve learned through this journey that because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions NEVER fail. They are new every morning; GREAT IS YOUR FAITHFULNESS. The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.

Not sure Steve Jobs did this, but I thank and forgive my John Sculley!

It’s the people like John Sculley that actually push you further onto your destiny path. We know how the story ends for Steve Jobs. How does my story end? It hasn’t…God has already written it and I’m still on adventure with Him.

Who was the John Sculley in your life?