Accepting Opportunities
Accepting Opportunities — Without the Whining!
by Mary Veilleux
“Mary, I’m desperate,” came Wendy’s voice over the phone last Friday as
she begged me to join the high school choir as a chaperone on Monday. “Sure!” I answered brightly. After the phone call, I regretted my willingness to be suckered in to something I hate . . . spending a day with somebody else’s teenagers.
Good grief! I thought to myself. I don’t even like teenagers and my Ben isn’t even going, because his friends aren’t in the choir clique! What happened to all the parents who signed up? Am I the only parent she could call? Why me? After a few hours of whining, I finally made peace with it: I’m volunteering to chaperone 12 teens at the Washington National Zoo . . . better make the best of it.
We arrived in D.C. at 10:30. Four minutes after de-busing, I saw my group disperse, so I yelled out, “See you in Parking Lot E in five hours!”
Oh, great, I thought. I just lost the entire 12 and I’m spending my Monday at the zoo by myself. So much for being a witness, so much for being salt and light, so much for being a sucker!
I later learned that a tenth grader, Brittany, had created my group with all the rebellious kids—none of whom I knew by name.
It was a picture perfect day in April. The zoo wasn’t jammed with people and the elephants performed and did tricks I had never seen before. Enjoying my stroll, I prayed for safety for the kids in my group, hoping I’d run into somebody.
At the Great Ape House, I ran into Stephanie. Since our feet were tired, I invited her to join me on the grass, near the Picnic Pavilion. She told me her story, how she was worried about her grandma, being in the hospital with a heart problem, how her grandma had offered to chaperone today (ouch!), how when she was seven, her mom dropped her and her siblings off for the summer at her grandparents’ home and never came back.
She continued with her steady blue eyes and matter-of-fact tone of voice, never revealing a life of rejection and pain. I offered to pray with her for her grandmother and explained briefly why I can pray with hope.
I have no idea if my presence made any difference on that trip or not. What matters is making the most of the opportunities when they come—with no time wasted on whining
Mary and her husband, Bill, live in Virginia and are part of The Navigators Military Mission. They have been married for 21 years and have five children. Mary is involved in her community, volunteers in the schools, and ministers to teens in their home.
