May 2009
“Those who abandon their dreams will discourage your.” When I discovered this quote just over a year ago, the words spoke to where I was at that point of my life; preparing to move to England. As graduation came around at the beginning of May, I was again contemplating this statement from two different angles. The first was to think back on those who did indeed try to discourage me; those who said that I wasn’t smart enough to go to college let alone graduate school, the speech and language pathology professor who, when I was considering audiology as a profession, told me that women shouldn’t be audiologists. And, the audiologist who told me that I would be over qualified and working for little pay and it wasn’t worth all the time and energy of graduate school. These people had either abandoned their dreams or let the difficulties of life create bitterness in their hearts for where they were in their lives. Out of their bitterness and disappointment, came discouragement to others.
“Those who abandon their dreams will discourage your.” When I discovered this quote just over a year ago, the words spoke to where I was at that point of my life; preparing to move to England. As graduation came around at the beginning of May, I was again contemplating this statement from two different angles. The first was to think back on those who did indeed try to discourage me; those who said that I wasn’t smart enough to go to college let alone graduate school, the speech and language pathology professor who, when I was considering audiology as a profession, told me that women shouldn’t be audiologists. And, the audiologist who told me that I would be over qualified and working for little pay and it wasn’t worth all the time and energy of graduate school. These people had either abandoned their dreams or let the difficulties of life create bitterness in their hearts for where they were in their lives. Out of their bitterness and disappointment, came discouragement to others.
The second angle was to think of those in my life who had encouraged me to where I am today. First would be my family who formed the basis of my education and relationship with God. My church family consisting of pastors, mentors, patriarchs and matriarchs of the church, the Patinas, and my Christian friends; those who because of their prayers, words of encouragement, and wisdom helped shape me into who I am now. Teachers throughout my childhood and youth; swimming, piano, all those people instilled in me the skills of discipline and hard work and spoke hard-to-hear truths into my life even when there were times I wanted to give up. Those from my California life; they lifted me up in friendship and encouraged me to pursue goals. Those from Pocatello; my friends and roommates who had to put up with late study nights and my frustrations. My ISU professors who helped me to grow my interest in audiology into a passion. It is amazing for me to think back on the encouragement these people put into my life and how my life has become a patchwork of their prayers, encouragement, words of wisdom, and truths. I am truly blessed!
Thinking on that phrase, I am reminded that my dreams are not what I can do, what job I obtain, what research I do. My dream is the hope I have in Christ; the hope that daily His Holy Spirit would work through me to touch those in my work with compassion, to speak words of truth into others lives, to bring encouragement to the depressed. There will be times that I will become discouraged at where I am in life, with others, with my job, but may I never abandon the dream that is my hope in Christ Jesus. 
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