Fennel, Sweet potatoes, beets, leeks, turnips, carrots, and more.

Not exactly my idea of the best foods. Okay, so I really like sweet potatoes when they’re baked well (in other words, the way I like them). Carrots are the same for me. The rest I can do without. When I think of turnips, I think of Laura Ingalls Wilder having to eat them over and over and not liking them – to harvest or eat. When I think of beets, I think of the runny, fake purple juice running across my elementary school lunch tray. Leeks remind me of a garden hose. And fennel? To be honest, I’d never had it (to my knowledge) and was certain I wasn’t missing out on anything.

Yet I came face-to-face…um, vegetable to mouth…with a large roaster of root vegetables at a women’s conference this fall. As usual, I arrived a little early and was greeted by a delicious smell consuming the building. I meandered into the eating area and first noticed a table of desserts: homemade baklava with pumpkin and apple filling. Mmmm. I wasn’t sure what was going to be placed in all the dishes on the main tables, but the smell was irrestible.

The couple in charge of cooking and baking introduced all the foods before we began: herb-crusted pork roast, creamy garlic mashed potatoes, lemon green beans…and roasted root vegetables.

“Just try them!” we were told. Don’t let your past experiences and preferences taint your willingness to take a risk.

We were also told that if we tried the root vegetables, we should try a piece of each kind to get the perfect blend of flavors. I decided to be adventurous. I was swayed a bit by the chef standing over the serving table, directing me on what to spoon onto my plate!

Each bite was scrumptious, savory, and very…surprising. I liked every single one of the vegetables. The tastes chattered my preconceived presumptions. I walked away from lunch determined to try a similar combination soon. (I have yet to actually attempt it, but I’ll let you know when I do! I think I’d better wait for a large family event so I’ll have a few more brave tasters.)

I’ve written about adventures in eating before, but this was slightly different because of my existing assumptions. I expected not to like what I was eating. I was wrong.

Our assumptions are often wrong. We’ve had one experience and base future decisions on it. We’ve heard someone’s opinion and adopt or reject it automatically. Making assumptions helps us make sense of new information, but if we’re not willing to question existing information, our assumptions will sometimes build walls that limit our opportunities.

Take inventory of your assumptions today.

This isn’t a simple food challenge. I’m referring to the assumptions you make about people, relationships, and experiences. God continues to grow you beyond where you were yesterday. He continues to invite you into a closer relationship with him, which means searching for answers to probing questions, meeting challenges with anticipation, and taking steps of adventures. Be willing to get your hands dirty as you uproot assumptions that might be holding you back from amazing experiences. You might just find a new favorite recipe in the process.

Fools base their thoughts on foolish assumptions, so their conclusions will be wicked madness. Ecclesiastes 10:13