Exposure is Key!

Ever had someone tell you they didn’t like something, but when further questioned you found out they had never tried it? I have.  And, I’ve realized we often make snap judgements about things without having experienced them.  When we haven’t been exposed to things it’s difficult to really know how we will react to them.  It’s scary sometimes to try new things especially when we don’t know much about them.  It’s also difficult to dream about something that we’ve never seen or been exposed to.  

I watched a Hallmark movie this weekend (my guilty pleasure) and they did an amazing job of addressing some sensitive issues around race in an interracial family.  In the movie, a little girl mentioned that she thought she had selected the wrong instrument (a violin) because she had not seen a violinist who looked like her.  That grabbed me.  I thought of all the times I felt like I might not belong or I might be in the wrong place, because I was the only one. 

And I realized that the more exposure I had to the Lord, the more He ordered my steps (Psalm 37:23).  He was directing my path and I was exactly where I was supposed to be.  I wasn’t like Joseph dreaming of things I had never seen or experienced, but I was moving into areas I never really imagined.  God had plans for me that I didn’t know and the more exposure and time I spent with him, the more I stepped into areas that were outside my comfort zone and the more I saw God’s favor (Matt 6:33).  The more I trusted Him, the more I knew it was Him getting me through things.  The more I trusted Him, the stronger my faith, because I knew I could not do it on my own.  He chose me.  He set me apart.  

I don’t know what it is you haven’t been exposed to that you are to walk into, but don’t let fear or ignorance keep you from taking the next step.  Be exposed to the one who created you and know He has a plan for you…..a plan to prosper you and not harm you (Jer 29:11).  Be exposed!