What more did you expect?

Often times, answers to our questions are right in front of us. 

My company reorganized our department in 2018; something technology companies do all the time.  It wasn’t my first rodeo.  These things have happened to me, my colleagues, clients, family, and friends periodically.  Nonetheless, the 2018 reorg impacted me in a profoundly personal way. 

In 2011 I had (finally) found the perfect job.  I like to laugh that it took me 30 years, but in 2011 I made a career pivot into something little known back then; more commonplace today called “sales enablement”.  I approached sales enablement as 1/3 sales training; 1/3 sales management; 1/3 sales operations; and 1/3 business consulting.  Four-thirds, you say?  Yep!  Because the role was a perfect fit I threw my whole self into the job.  It has been wonderfully fulfilling. 

Then the 2018 reorg… 

I could have quit; many of my colleagues did just that.  Instead, I decided to stay and make a difference.  But for how long?  That was my question.  It took a few years, but I (finally) realized God had been offering me direction all along.  I wasn’t drowning, but I certainly needed a little help: 

            A fellow was stuck on his rooftop in a flood. He was praying to God for help.  Soon a man in a rowboat came by and the fellow shouted to the man on the roof, “Jump in, I can save you.”  The stranded fellow shouted back, “No, it’s OK, I’m praying to God and he is going to save me.”  So the rowboat went on. 

     Then a motorboat came by. “The fellow in the motorboat shouted, “Jump in, I can save you.”  To this the stranded man said, “No thanks, I’m praying to God and he is going to save me. I have faith.”  So the motorboat went on. 

     Then a helicopter came by and the pilot shouted down, “Grab this rope and I will lift you to safety.”  To this the stranded man again replied, “No thanks, I’m praying to God and he is going to save me. I have faith.”  So the helicopter reluctantly flew away. 

     Soon the water rose above the rooftop and the man drowned. He went to Heaven. He finally got his chance to discuss this whole situation with God, at which point he exclaimed, “I had faith in you but you didn’t save me, you let me drown. I don’t understand why!” 

     To this God replied, “I sent you a rowboat and a motorboat and a helicopter, what more did you expect?” 

The people in my rowboat were my friends and former ADP colleagues; Tom McSweeney, Tony Marabotti, and Steve Major.  The driver of the motorboat was my big brother Jim along with my doctors who informed me I was no longer “Superman”.  (Actually, I always fancied myself more like Batman. HaHa!)  

Then my helicopter pilot arrived.  Steve Steadman a grade school friend I had not seen in decades.  Turns out, he’s lived 20 minutes nearby for years.  Finally, my college basketball coach and lifelong mentor Harley Knosher spoke to me through a YouTube video of all things that was almost two years old before I watched it (link). 

It was then that I knew God was saying, “What more did you expect?” 

Last week I informed my manager I am retiring from the technology sales field for good; leaving future fortunes to the young.  May God help them, too. 

GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.