I’m a perpetual list maker. Every day I move through life checking items off my To Do list. My calendar syncs to my phone and I am all about scheduling things like long phone calls or lunch dates rather than doing them spontaneously.

I tend to be a person who works her way through life with a “What’s next?” mentality. Moving from project to project and task to task I’m always doing what’s in front of me and looking toward what is next. This works just fine when life is busy and things are moving along quickly, but every so often I find that God leads me to a place I affectionately (or not so affectionately, really) call the Hold-It Zone. It’s a stopping place—sometimes a resting place; other times a redirecting place but always a place of minimal activity.

Summer usually finds me in a bit of a Hold-It Zone. School’s out for the summer so I’m not teaching creative writing like I do part-time throughout the rest of the year. Right now I have two book proposals being shopped but nothing under contract, and I’m not traveling for work again until late July. I’m still working on some freelance articles and a few other things, but life is slower than it normally is.

As much as I hate all things slow, I’ve found that the Hold-It Zone is actually a great place to hear the voice of the Lord—although I might not always enjoy what He is saying. Lately, as I’ve been faithfully meeting Him at my kitchen table each morning with His Word and a few study tools spread before me, it seems like every passage of Scripture or bit of Bible study homework has all been pointing toward one thing.

God wants me to see that I’ve been asking the wrong question. What’s next? is an assuming question. It’s focused on the future not the present. Questions like that are asked when I’m assuming that what God has for me tomorrow is more important than what He has for me today.

What’s next? is an appealing question to perpetual over-planners like me. Something about it makes us feel like we’re in control even when we know we’re not. If we know what’s coming down the line we feel like we can be better prepared for it—or like we can daydream ourselves right out of the less than ideal situations we find ourselves in today.

Recently, I’ve come to terms with the fact that one of the reasons God has me in the Hold-It Zone right now is to teach me to ask a better question—a character building question. What now? This question focuses on today and the immediate tasks at hand—even if they are small and seemingly without purpose.

Sometimes the answers to the What Now? question are really simple. Call that friend you never have time for. Ask the checker at the grocery store how her day is going. Invite someone over for dinner. Make a coffee date with a new friend.

Asking What now? instead of What’s Next? gives us the time we need to live in the moment—to experience God in today instead of worrying about how He’s going to show up tomorrow.

It builds character in us during seasons when we’d rather be doing something more important or thrilling. Asking a question like that is a good test of whether Jesus Christ is really Lord of our lives or just someone we follow when it looks like He’s going someplace big or exciting.

Maybe today you’ve found yourself in your own Hold-It Zone of sorts as the slower pace of summer is settling in. If so, then you’re in the perfect spot to start asking a life changing question: What Now?

I would love to hear your thoughts on the Hold-It Zone and asking What Now? instead of What’s Next?