Exposed.

You ever feel like you just can't get it together? Like you're totally exposed and everyone can see what's going on inside of you? Like everything you're thinking and feeling is just right there...smeared all over your sleeve?

That's me today...exposed. Raw. On edge. On the verge. On the verge of...what? That's where the words stop...and the thoughts begin. That's where that word "incubate" pops into my head. Incubate. God gave me that word as I was writing in my prayer journal one morning.

in*cu*bate 
–verb (used with object)
1. to sit upon (eggs) for the purpose of hatching.
2. to hatch (eggs), as by sitting upon them or by artificial heat.
3. to maintain at a favorable temperature and in other conditions promoting development, as cultures of bacteria or prematurely born infants.
4. to develop or produce as if by hatching; give form to: His brain was incubating schemes for raising money.

–verb (used without object)
5. to sit upon eggs.
6. to undergo incubation.
7. to develop; grow; take form: A plan was slowly incubating in her mind.

I relate to that last one...the one I highlighted. Partly because there is no object (eggs)...obviously I'm not physically incubating anything. Regardless of what some of you may think in regard to my chicken keeping...I haven't gone that far over the edge! (Although I DO find it very funny that this is the word I'm given... incubate...God works in mysterious ways and VERY FUNNY ways.) But I am incubating something inside of me...in my mind and in my heart. I don't know what it is yet...but I know it's there. Part of me is really excited to see what's coming. And the other part of me feels very vulnerable about it all. Exposed.

The bottom line is...I just need to keep my faith. And trust. And continue moving forward...step by step, day by day, moment by moment. And when the time is right...I'll know.