December 12, 2008

Read 2 Thessalonians 2:13-3:5

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God even our Father,
who hath loved us and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good wood and work.—2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

Though there is a lot more to being a Human Resources professional than helping people, the most rewarding part of my job is being able to provide comfort and encouragement to the employees I support.

Despite Kia’s limited eye sight and handicap due to her autoimmune condition, she willingly relocated to St Louis, after her department had been eliminated in South Carolina. Far away from family and friends, she managed to settle in an apartment she loved, arrange rides to and from work with new found friends, in addition to making a name for herself on her new team.
On September 14th, Hurricane Ike washed away all of her personal belongings along with her hope for a happy life in her new city. Not only was Kia physically displaced to temporary housing, she felt a greater sense of isolation, without a place to call her own. Despite the fact that she loved her job and her new peers, she vacillated over resigning and moving back to South Carolina.

I had faith that Kia could continue to thrive in her position and would find happiness in St. Louis. After countless conversations and pros & cons lists, she decided to stay. She said our genuine commitment to her happiness and comfort was the reason she stayed.
Though empathy may be an expectation set in my job description, I truly believe my compassion and inspiration to go above and beyond is rooted in my Christian beliefs. I aspire to follow Christ’s path, in sharing the hope and comfort that he offers me in times of trouble.

Pray: Comforting God, remind us daily that you are always with us to help us.
Continue to show us how we can guide others to solace, as you have guided us.
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Corey Elizabeth Stranghoener is a HR Supervisor at Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s St Louis Contact Center.