It’s All in Your Perspective

​After first moving to Coeur d’Alene, getting settled, being bored in a small apartment and needing something to keep me occupied, I decided to ask for a job at a local meat market — Tim’s Special Cut Meats. Having been raised on a farm in northwest Illinois, I was familiar with the industry and have always prioritized feeding my family quality meat. Looking for a new adventure to fill my time in a new town, I waltzed in on one of my weekly market visits and asked for an application. Tim, the owner, told me to bring ​in a resume — so I did! I was hired on the

Renee Kurtz

spot (weeks later, I found the resume on the desk – unopened). This was surprising as I did not truly have the experience needed to work this new position, but I’ve rarely been afraid to try something new. On the other hand, my family had a LOT to say about it. Steve was pretty sure I would not fit in, and both kids thought I was nuts. Little did I know that God was placing me in this experience to teach me a multitude of lessons.

Steve was right — I did not fit in. I had never worked in a food service job before and didn’t know anyone at the store. But I quickly learned so many things about life, meat and the Pacific Northwest. Meanwhile, my mom was convinced that the saw would ruin all her investments in my piano lessons and music career. However, I enjoyed what I was doing and learning, so I kept showing up! Eventually, I became part of the small seven-person team. Fast forward a couple of years, and I find myself with three jobs that I enjoy immensely and a side gig at the meat market on the holidays. They let me come in and man the cash register for the busy turkey season and the crazy busy prime rib season. The team there knows me better than anyone at school does, simply because of the time we’ve spent together wrapping thousands of pounds of hamburger into one-pound packages, processing a variety of game, and learning how to sell a steak. Our lifestyles are vastly different in some cases, but in others, not so much. I love seeing the different ways that our team takes care of our customers in these busy (and sometimes stressful) times.
 
I have also been witness to the thoughtfulness and consideration our team shows to one another. One of us was sick, so another gave up his opportunity to leave early so she could get some extra rest. One volunteered to carry out turkeys for the older generations, never complaining when I yelled his name that he had to go out into the cold or that I was interrupting his task. One has impeccable customer service phone skills. Someone was continuously checking to make sure that I was okay, even though they were the ones running around like crazy trying to provide top-notch customer service. They would even notice that I was low on bags, needed more water in my water bottle, was out of jerky bags, etc. One of them found the perfect solution to the fact that I’m tall and the cash register was relatively low.
 
People want to connect. They want to share.  I love being on the praise team at 1stPres because you can hear the congregation singing with you and it’s fantastic. The sound creates an overwhelming sense of joy, and it’s always such a rush. The same is true of leading the choir, but I’m usually a lot more nervous, so I don’t notice it nearly as much.  When I get to talk to every customer at the meat market, it’s a rush.  I met a guy from a local band who volunteered to help me out with a community service event I had coming up. I’ve talked to so many people who shared who was coming to dinner and why they were looking forward to the day. All the guys love sharing their Traeger stories and how they will fix their main dish this year.
 
I want to leave you with a lesson I’ve learned and one that I will carry with me, particularly through the month of December. Sometimes working in the service industry is a little dicey. Things will inevitably go wrong, mistakes will be made, and customers might be dissatisfied. In most cases, I can maneuver the situation to keep the line moving and the customer satisfied. However, in the situations where I feel overwhelmed, I know that the owner, Tim, and the team are right beside me when we navigate stressful times in the store. My goal this year is to keep my perspective and bounce back quickly in times of stress and hardship, knowing that God has placed the people and circumstances in my life to not only teach me things, but to grow from every experience. And for what it’s worth, Mom, I’ve never been allowed to touch the saw, and rarely the slicer, at the meat market. :)

​In His Name, Renee
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