Faith in Free-Fall — Maintain Control
how do I keep my faith when everything feels out of control
Context for the Reader
“Everything feels out of control” is the spanning overlay behind many workplace crises — layoff, conflict, illness return-to-work, org change. Dean does not pose as a calm expert above the storm; he names the pilot’s worst feeling and the eaglet’s tumble, then teaches the first objective: maintain control long enough to open the wings. Keeping faith is not fake serenity; it is using trust while the air is rough.
Common scotoma (blind spot)
The blind spot is equating faith with the absence of free-fall sensation. Seekers conclude “if I felt out of control, I must have lost faith” — then either pretend calm or abandon trust. Dean’s key word is appears: the tumble looks totally out of control; that appearance is not yet the ending. Another scotoma: waiting to feel steady before taking the yoke — pilots grip the wheel in the emergency.
Biblical foundations (preface)
Scripture gives vocabulary for sinking and sudden fear, promises presence in deep water, and refuses a spirit of fear as the operating system — without claiming the weather was never rough.
| Claim / need | Scriptural undercarriage (WEB or clear paraphrase) |
|---|---|
| Presence in the waters | “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you…” (Isaiah 43:2 WEB) |
| Honest language for the tumble | “Save me, God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire…” (Psalm 69:1–2 WEB) |
| Fear routed into trust | “When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.” (Psalm 56:3 WEB) |
| Not a spirit of fear | “For God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:7 WEB) |
Preferred public text for final gated quotes: CSB. Bridge text above is WEB (public domain) for join/digestibility.
Dean's excerpt
Eagle free-fall — then wings
If the young eagle leaves prematurely, there is a moment when the bird falls free of the nest and it appears totally out of control while it tumbles through the air falling toward the earth.
Amazingly, this is not the end of the story because in nearly all the observed cases where the birds prematurely fall from the nest they do recover and almost always return to the nest. If you continue watching the eagle as it falls, an amazing phenomenon takes place. The bird tentatively opens its wings and rights itself; then it fully spreads its magnificent wings to fly; it works diligently to get back to the nest. As we watch, we begin to perceive the eagle will be able to achieve its objective and fly under its own strength. However, the young eagle doesn’t go far, as some instinct bids them to return to the nest where parents again take over until the feathers are fully formed and the hunting training begins.
“Am I about to reel out of control?”
For many years I flew airplanes for a living. One of the worst feelings in the air for a pilot is realizing that the normally stable machine you are flying has a serious problem. My first thought in an unexpected emergency was always, “Am I about to reel out of control?” I could be flying along in smooth air and suddenly encounter turbulence. The airplane might dive out of control or go into a wild gyration. At that point I always wondered what was happening. How did I get in this predicament and how do I regain control of the airplane?
The Air Force triad
As a pilot, I learned early in my Air Force career that there are some simple actions that are to be taken in case of an emergency, and they work. They work in the air and in life.
Our Air Force instructors taught us over and over again that we were to:
- Maintain control of the airplane
- Analyze the situation / take proper action
- Land as soon as practical
Those simple actions are also good for overcoming problems in life. I have discovered that applying them to a crisis is a good start toward recovery.
Scholar sidebar — Appearances, presence, self-control Dean’s appears matches Psalm 69’s honest sinking language without final despair. Isaiah 43:2 promises presence through waters. Psalm 56:3 routes fear into trust. 2 Timothy 1:7 equips self-control as gift, not ego. Keep eagle + cockpit primary; verses authorize honesty plus action.
Applicable memorable solution
- Name the appearance — write: “Right now it appears out of control because…” without forcing “I’m fine.”
- Grip the yoke — one stabilizing act (breathe, pray Psalm 56:3, stop one panic behavior).
- Run the triad once — maintain control → analyze one fact → take one proper action → decide what “land soon” means today.
- Open the wings tentatively — one small obedient move toward help or clarity (call, Scripture, trusted nest).
- Refuse the scotoma — feeling free-fall does not prove faith has left; ask whether faith is simply unused.
Takeaways
- Out of control is how free-fall looks — sensory truth, not yet the final frame.
- Recovery starts tentatively — wings open carefully; righting precedes full spread.
- Pilots ask the control question first — “Am I about to reel out of control?” then act.
- Simple triad works in air and life — maintain, analyze/act, land as soon as practical.
- Keeping faith means using it in weather — not waiting for smooth air to believe.
First-time learner
One sentence: When everything feels out of control, name the free-fall honestly, maintain control long enough to think, and spread your wings — faith is kept by use under pressure, not by denying the tumble. Why: Many seekers treat panic-sensation as proof of failed faith; Dean and Scripture both allow the weather and still call for presence and self-control. Key verses: Isaiah 43:2; Psalm 69:1–2; Psalm 56:3; 2 Timothy 1:7. Practice: Write the “appears out of control because…” sentence; pray Psalm 56:3; take one triad step today.