Tonight’s Wednesdays with Jillene post starts with a shout out to our Camp Vick kitchen staff. Working on facilities staff at a camp is a job filled with more of the same followed up with more of the same with a side of (you guessed it) more of the same. Washing the same dishes, sanitizing the same counters, sweeping the same floors, emptying the same trash cans and on and on and on.

And yet… the kitchen staff found joy in the mundane, ordinary, monotonous tasks. Whether it be naming the appliances or celebrating a milestone that others may see as just plain silly… our kitchen staff is a great example of pursing, finding and cultivating joy.

So, here’s the story. At some point over the last few weeks of doing loads of dishes never ending… the kitchen staff realized we were closing in on the 10,000th load of dishes done in our dishwasher. And they were excited. Many of us caught their joy and regularly asked how close they were getting to hitting this milestone.

Today was the day.

Lunch dishes started like this:

Then we gathered. Yes, we gathered to watch the last few loads go in, wash, and come out of the dishwasher.

Until…

The 10,000th load.

There wasn’t fireworks, songs, or cheers of elation. But there was joy and community.

There in the mundane, ordinary, every day, never ending task of washing the dishes there was joy.

Because they sought joy.

How about in your life? Where are you pursing joy?

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

In what areas of your life do you need to pursue, find and cultivate joy? What encourages you to find the joy in the tough or ordinary moments of life? What scripture speaks to your heart and encourages you in the journey of living joyfully?

~Jillene