We Can't Put God in a Box
...here’s the thing about God: He rarely sticks to our blueprints.
I’m Aaron Hall, a pastor in LA (that’s Lower Alabama, probably not the “LA” you were thinking of). Mark Batterson once said, “I do not type on a keyboard. I worship God with the 26 letters of the English alphabet.” That’s what I’m doing here—worshiping God through the words I write. Every post is an act of worship, every sentence written for His glory. I desire to be obedient each day to whatever God has called me to do (and write). I’d love for you to join me on this journey. If you haven’t already, you can subscribe below! 👇
If you don’t know me, I’m a former youth pastor from South Florida who God called to plant a church in Lower Alabama. Before we moved, I had a vision—a picture—of what I thought this journey would look like and what the church would look like at this stage of the planting journey. I was wrong.
God does that sometimes. Or, most of the time.
He’ll give us dreams, and glimpses of those dreams, only to do abundantly more than we could ever ask or think—and I love that about God!
When we first packed up and left everything familiar—our friends, our routines, our favorite food spots, our home church—I had a plan. I had ideas about what ministry would look like, what the “perfect” church would be, what our church planting journey would look like over the course of the next year, and even how fast everything would unfold. But here’s the thing about God: He rarely sticks to our blueprints.
The truth is, He’s not trying to meet our expectations; He’s trying to expand them.
Again and again, I’ve watched Him transform what I expected into something beautiful, something alive—something that could only be explained by His hand at work. The people He’s brought into our lives, the stories of grace we’ve witnessed, the incredible pastors I’ve had the honor of meeting, the ways He’s provided when things didn’t make sense—it’s all been far better than the “vision” I had in my head. And He continues to do all these things (and more)!
It’s humbling—to realize that sometimes our greatest act of faith isn’t doing more, but letting go of the version of the dream we thought was best.
Because the truth is:
We can’t put God in a box. He’ll always outgrow it instantly.
And honestly, that’s what this whole season has been for me—a continual unboxing of God.
Every time I think I’ve figured out what He’s doing, He surprises me. Every time I feel like I’ve hit a wall, He opens a door I didn’t even know was there. And every time I start to question if I have what it takes, He reminds me that it was never about my ability, but His faithfulness.
Church planting has stretched me, refined me, and reminded me that obedience is often the most underrated miracle. It doesn’t always look flashy. It’s not always fast. But it’s holy.
As Paul wrote, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20, NKJV). I’ve seen that verse come alive again and again.
And as I look ahead, I’m more convinced than ever: God is writing a story in our city that’s bigger than me, bigger than Jubilee City Church, and bigger than anything I could have planned.
So if you’re in a season where things don’t look like the picture you imagined—don’t lose heart. “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7, NKJV).
The Artist is still painting.
He’s just not done yet.
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How true, how true. I am just coming out of that season when I thought I knew what God wanted. Now it's time . . . to walk on water, eyes fixed on Jesus.
Did you hear me scream? I was just praying and the words our Father allowed you to share was exactly what I needed! "Every time I think I’ve figured out what He’s doing, He surprises me. Every time I feel like I’ve hit a wall, He opens a door I didn’t even know was there. And every time I start to question if I have what it takes, He reminds me that it was never about my ability, but His faithfulness." Screaming and praising Him!