March 26, 2023

A Really Hard Job

Read: 1 Corinthians 13:13

My mother smiled more than anyone I’ve ever known. She was always optimistic and positive and was skilled at getting a return smile from everyone around her. Church and faith were interwoven with this optimism and happiness. She also worked in the credit department at the Berkline Furniture Corporation for over 40 years, and her specialty was collections.

When I was a kid, I never really paid attention to what my mother did for work. But in my adult life I began to understand that my mother had spent much of her career collecting money from furniture stores and distributors who were behind on their payments. And I also realized she had been doing that for so many years because she was really good at it. This perplexed me greatly. How could one of the nicest and most genuine people I’d ever known and thrive for decades as a bill collector?

My mother had never spoken much to me about her job, and she typically kept her work life to herself. But when she was in the early stages of dementia, I had a conversation with her about her career and we finally discussed how she had thrived for so many years in collections. According to my mom, it was her ability to be so genuine, honest, and caring that made her successful. She got to know her customers personally and build real trust. She really understood them, and could empathize in a way that made them feel respected. When merchants had cash flow problems or financial issues, she had a way of making sure she was the first person they wanted to pay when money came in. She could be tough when she needed to as well, but that was not what ultimately made her successful.

My mom was a lifelong United Methodist, and I believe her unwavering faith and her grounding in the New Testament were critical in forming who she was. The teachings of Paul are extraordinarily optimistic and loving, even though the job of developing the early church was extremely difficult and filled with interactions with uncooperative, dangerous people who wanted to eradicate his cause. But over time, the teachings of faith, hope, and love kept winning the detractors over.

Craig Fowler