Finding Purpose in the Unexpected: How a Job Loss Became a Divine Calling

By Jeffrey Lackey, Founder, JKL Advisors

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As a seasoned executive leader, I’ve spent my career transforming talent acquisition strategies at Fortune 500 companies, including CVS Health, Rolls-Royce, and ATK (now Northrop Grumman). My expertise lies in building scalable hiring operations, reducing costs, and developing world-class recruitment teams.

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of leading efforts that have hired over a million individuals while driving organizational growth and efficiency.

But despite my professional achievements, one of the most defining moments of my life wasn’t a business success—it was a season of uncertainty that revealed God’s plan in the most unexpected way.

The Unthinkable Setback: A Job Loss Amid Success

It was 2006, and life seemed stable. My wife and I had four young children under the age of 10, and we had just settled into our new home in Lakeville, Minnesota.

We were active members of First Baptist Church of Rosemount, our children were thriving in Christian school, and I was excelling in my career at ATK, a major defense contractor.

In fact, things were going so well at work that my leadership had rewarded me with an exceptional performance rating and nearly 200% of my bonus—a rare acknowledgment of my contributions.

Then, everything changed

One day, I was called into a meeting and informed that the company’s new leadership had decided to decentralize all support functions—including HR and my team.

As a result, my job was eliminated.

Despite being a top performer, I was now unemployed, with a mortgage, four kids, and no immediate job prospects.

A Pastor’s Unexpected Response: “Praise the Lord”

Like anyone facing an unexpected setback, I questioned everything:

???????? ??“God, why would You allow this to happen?”

??????????? “Why would You uproot my family just two years ago, only to leave us in uncertainty?”

??????????? “What am I supposed to do now?”

That Sunday, burdened with worry, I approached Pastor Clear before Sunday School. I shared my news, expecting sympathy or words of encouragement.

Instead, he smiled and said something that shocked me: “Praise the Lord.”

I was stunned. Praise the Lord?! Had he misheard me?

Pastor Clear continued:

“Did you want to leave ATK?”

Me - “No.”

“Did you do anything to cause your termination?”

Me - “No, I was excelling.”

“So, if this wasn’t your choice, and it wasn’t your will… then God has put you right in the middle of His will.”

At that moment, his words struck me deeply. It wasn’t that I was a victim of corporate restructuring. God was leading me somewhere new—even if I didn’t yet understand why.

A Divine Appointment at the Dakota County Fair

A few days later, something remarkable happened.

Pastor Johnson, our church’s pastor emeritus, had attended a conference in San Francisco where he met a missionary from Amazing Grace Ministries. The ministry ran evangelistic booths at fairs, community events, and public gatherings, sharing the Gospel with passersby.

The missionary was discouraged. Many churches had signed up for booths but couldn’t find volunteers to staff them.

One fair in particular—a small county fair in Minnesota—had a paid booth but no one to work it.

When Pastor Johnson heard that, his ears perked up.

“Wait… which fair?”

“The Dakota County Fair.”

That was OUR county fair. It was minutes from our church, and yet, a conversation thousands of miles away in California had opened an unexpected door.

When Pastor Johnson shared the opportunity with the church, he asked for volunteers to staff the booth. At first, I hesitated. But then I thought: “Well… I don’t have a job. And I certainly have time during the day.”

So, I raised my hand. What I didn’t know was that this simple act of obedience would lead to eternal impact.

The Atheist, The Skeptic, and The Miracle of Salvation

On the first day at the booth, the very first person who approached me was an atheist who wanted to debate God’s existence.

I stood my ground, leaning on scripture and logic, but ultimately, we parted ways agreeing to disagree. “Well, thanks God. That was a nice warm-up.”

Then, I noticed a man standing still, staring at our booth’s sign.

The sign read:

“Are you 50%, 75%, or 100% sure that if you died today, you’d go to heaven?”

I approached him.

“Hey there, how are you?”

He barely looked at me. His eyes never left the sign.

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” I asked.

Still staring at the sign, he pointed and said:

“I don’t know.”

Right there, in the middle of the crowded fair, I shared the plan of salvation with him:

??????????? All have sinned (Romans 3:23).

??????????? The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).

??????????? Jesus Christ paid for our sins (Romans 5:8).

??????????? If you confess and believe, you will be saved (Romans 10:9).

Then I asked:

“Do you want to know, without a doubt, that you are saved?”

With tears in his eyes, he said:

“Yes.”

As I led him to the booth to pray, a woman touched my arm and whispered in my ear: “I’ve been praying for this moment for 30 years.” She was his wife. That day, Brad accepted Christ—something his wife had prayed for, for three decades.

The Final Confirmation: A Trio of Basketball Players

Later that same day, three high school basketball players walked by. I asked them the same question:

“Are you 50%, 75%, or 100% sure that if you died today, you’d go to heaven?”

One said, “Pretty sure.”

One said, “I don’t know.”

One said, “I hope so.”

I walked them through the Gospel—a message they had never heard before.? In that moment, all three of them accepted Christ.

The Lesson: When We Lose, We Gain in Christ

A few months later, I landed a new job at Rolls-Royce, and my severance carried us through without missing a paycheck.

But what I gained in that season of uncertainty was worth infinitely more:

??????????? I learned God’s will is often hidden in disruptions.

??????????? I discovered the power of stepping out in faith.

??????????? I saw that a job loss wasn’t an end—it was a divine assignment.

Had I stayed at ATK, I would have never been at that fair, in that booth, at that moment, leading those souls to Christ.

So yes, praise the Lord—because when we surrender, we gain more than we ever imagined.

?? Are you facing a disruption? Trust Him. You might be right in the middle of His will.

You can reach Jeffrey at [email protected].

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