---
id: flying-free-20-a-moment-to-act
title: Chapter 20 – A Moment to Act
category: Life Lessons
predicted_narrative_arc: problem-avoidance to decisive-action
sentiment: motivational
emotions:
- determination
- hope
- responsibility
keypoints:
- Faith without action is dead
- Ignoring problems or expecting others to fix them worsens crises
- Personal experiences like movie immersion show how prior knowledge aids response
- Societal safety nets can erode self-responsibility
- Action sharpens skills, builds esteem, and requires tools and practice
- Faith enables forward focus over worry or victimhood
summary: The chapter stresses that faith requires action to solve problems rather
  than waiting for others or ignoring crises. Personal examples include immersion
  in a Top Gun movie scene and an analogy of a man wanting to play piano without owning
  one. It critiques societal dependence on institutions and promotes personal responsibility,
  preparation, and forward-looking faith.
tags:
- childhood
- family
- faith
- work
- testing
- gratitude
- warmth
- conviction
- faith-without-action
- personal-responsibility
- crisis-response
- taking-action
- self-reliance
- biblical-model
sycophancy: 2
truth_score: 8
entropy: 4
updated: '2026-09-08T20:49:32Z'
vault_stage: 07_CODEX
headwaters: COMPA
prefix: COMPA
enrich_status: ok
enrich_blockers: []
enrich_method: llm
pipeline_filename: COMPA_2026-09-08_chapter-20-a-moment-to-act.md
proposed_topic: Stories
lane: Stories
description: Faith is not passive. Dean shares the story of his friend David Eberly’s
  survival as a POW in Iraq and how decisive faith produces action when everything
  else fails.
routing_source: carbon
corpus_topic: Stories
---

# Chapter 20

## A Moment to Act – Use Faith

**Full book:** https://deanrush.net/downloads/flyingfreebook.md

---

### Context for the Reader

This chapter emphasizes that faith without action is dead. Dean contrasts the common response of waiting for someone else to fix the problem with the biblical model of taking responsibility and acting in faith. The story of David Eberly’s time as a POW is one of the most moving testimonies in the book.

---

Each of us copes with stress in a different manner. Everyday family or financial pressures or simple environmental agitations of light or noise can become overwhelming when coupled with an acute crisis. Some people try to escape from the reality of life’s hardships; they fall into stages of depression. Some react to problems by self-medicating with drugs or alcohol or going to movies to immerse themselves in a fictitious plot. They walk out of the theater completely worn out from the story and their problem is still facing them.

Many years ago I saw the movie *Top Gun* and, as a pilot, I found myself so deeply immersed in seeing an inverted spin depicted in the movie that I felt like I was pulling on the control stick, kicking the rudder, and feeling the stresses of the airplane. I had experienced that maneuver in the air and the scene in the movie was done so well that I felt the real thing occurring in my mind. Later I found out that a great stunt pilot named Art Scholl had died filming that scene. The movie company was able to save the film from Art’s fateful ride and used it in the movie. It was truly a tribute to his artistry that the realism was transferred to the screen. I could imagine what that inverted spin felt like in real life because I had experienced a spin.

When we see a movie scene depicting something that we have not experienced, we do not get so caught up in the plot because the whole scenario may be far from reality in our mind. Sometimes we do that with real life. We just ignore the present circumstance because it is something that we have never before experienced.

When people experience a problem for the first time, they often try to ignore the situation and hide their heads in the sand. They may pretend someone else is going to repair the dilemma. If you have not experienced something it is difficult to fully understand the ramifications of the event so we may try to ignore the consequence. The problem is ignored as if it really didn’t happen. Maybe that is a defensive mechanism, but it does not serve to solve the problem. If we are going to solve a problem we must grasp it and make a conscious decision to act on it, just like recovering from an inverted spin. At some point it is necessary to accept the fact that we are engaged in the experience and then overtly try to find a solution that will help us escape to safety.

We live in a society where we are often told there is an entitlement to have problems fixed by someone else. People expect to have someone or something step in and help them recover from a problem. Our society often relies on government or an institution to take care of us when we are affected by a crisis. Whoever we hope may solve our problem, the only real solution can come from our involvement. Social programs may supply a temporary solution for people, but those same people often find themselves right back in the same mess. They become depressed, withdrawn, and even suicidal because they lose hope. Social welfare and other government safety net programs have taken away people’s sense of control and self-responsibility. The long-term solution can only be found when people are not dependent upon institutional solutions.

One of the lessons I have learned from watching people in crisis is that they seem to hope for outside influence to correct the situation. They often avoid taking the actions necessary to begin moving toward a satisfactory conclusion. People must make the move to take proper action when they are in a crisis. If they wait, then the crisis only continues to develop and worsens. If they act, however, there is a quicker solution to the problem, problem-solving skills are sharpened, there is an increased sense of self-assurance, and heightened self-esteem. Just like recovery from a spin in an airplane, there is necessary action to begin the process of recovery.

I once heard an analogy about a guy who said he wanted to learn to play the piano and became despondent about having lived more than sixty years on earth and he had never learned to play. He loved the piano and talked to people about his aspiration for many years. In one of these conversations with a friend, our guy again expressed his desire to be a great pianist. The friend asked a simple question that started him on the road to satisfying his dream of having musical knowledge enough to play the piano. He knew the man well enough to get to the point quickly and he asked, “Do you own a piano?” The answer was a very simple “no.”

How much practicing can be done to become a pianist unless we have the instrument to make the avocation a reality? We must put a plan in place and also obtain the necessary tools to execute the plan. Taking proper action to reach a desired goal requires preparation and preparation requires practice. You can sit around and worry, stew, and dream but none of that makes a difference unless you take action.

There is no progress when energy is wasted worrying about decisions gone wrong or pitying yourself for being a victim of the circumstance that brought you to your crisis. Rather than wasting energy on worrying about past problems, there is much greater efficiency in focusing on actions that will lead to a positive future. Sometimes it is good to practice looking ahead rather than behind.

One of greatest gifts God has given every human being is the ability to have faith in Him. Faith can be used to look forward rather than back in your life. Faith avoids waste when you are solving a problem. Faith provides the incentive to take action and develop hope.

When all hope runs out in the world it becomes apparent that we must go to a higher power. It is at that moment we often can realize that God is faithful and omnipotent. If you have no hope, you suddenly find yourself isolated from the future. God can provide that hope.

I am privileged to have met and known a great American hero by the name of David Eberly, who illustrated what faith can do in a very dire situation. Many years ago, after returning from Vietnam, I was assigned to be an instructor pilot in the Air Force’s T-38 Talon. During that assignment I was one of David’s instructor pilots. It was apparent even as a student that David was a special individual. He and his beautiful wife Barbara were leaders in that class of budding pilots and he had been an outstanding student pilot as well. I lost contact with David after I left the Air Force. During the first Gulf War, I saw that a pilot, Colonel David Eberly, had been shot down and was missing. CNN even mentioned on TV that Colonel Eberly was from Indiana, the same home state of my former student. I had a passing thought that the guy they were talking about might be the father of our associate because my student was a second lieutenant when I knew him. The guy who was shot down was a colonel.

Much to my surprise, when the war ended and I saw the folks who had been POWs in Iraq coming down the stairs of the former presidential aircraft that flew them to freedom, the first pilot down the stairs was our David Eberly. Years had passed and he had become a colonel and had been the ranking POW in the Iraqi prison. As Vickie and I watched that scene unfold on television, we both cried tears of joy. We were so proud of David and his family. They endured the pain of the separation, the unknown outcome, and the torture that David was subjected to for all of America. I later learned in David’s fantastic book about his experience, *Faith Beyond Belief: A Journey to Freedom*, that he had used his amazing faith in God to get through the days, weeks, and months that he was held captive. His example of faith is summed up in his interpretation of the Lord’s Prayer that he said he used to finish each day of his term in the Iraqi prison.

*As always, I finished my day with my own adaptation of the Lord’s Prayer:* “Our Father who is here with us. Thank you for this day and for the food. Give us the mental courage and physical strength to get through the moment and please give them the courage to treat us fairly. Thy Kingdom come; thy will be done. For you are the real power and the glory forever. Amen.”

David Eberly’s story of endurance and faith should be an example to us all of what God will do if we maintain our faith in Him. David didn’t spend his time looking back. He relied on what was to come in the future. He didn’t dwell on feeling sorry for himself or his situation but instead maintained the belief that God was in charge, so his prayers reflected his confidence. He believed that God would bring him through the ordeal. There was no giving up or hiding from the truth of the situation. David built confidence in a future by relying on God to take care of the situation.

Many people thrive on pitying themselves in crisis and they remain reliant on their desire to look back rather than forward. They are satisfied to ignore the tools readily available to reach a goal. Often those people who thrive on self-sorrow expect someone else to fix the problem or never take advantage of finding the right tools to make their dreams a reality. David Eberly chose to take the high road and expected God to help. He placed his faith in the most stable foundation he could find.

He brought God right into his cell and God rewarded his faith.

Some people will wait for a long time to correct a situation because they will not allow anyone into the situation with them. Specifically, they keep God outside the problem. If they are waiting for someone else to solve their trouble then time often exacerbates the crisis. It is essential to begin the process of evaluating and working toward a solution sooner rather than later. The owner of the problem needs to become the primary actor in the solution.

When we rely on the processes of others rather than our own actions as the remedy to a problem, we are only asking for increased trouble. People who allow themselves to be totally reliant on someone else other than God have a difficult time solving any problem because they are always waiting. They wait on a solution that seldom arrives. God is the one available asset in every crisis. He can provide a timely and relevant solution. Waiting on other people often leads to more problems rather than a personal solution to the crisis.

It is very important to understand that the situation we are in is only a step away from the future. We need to evaluate the alternatives rather than waiting on the sideline for someone else’s answer. In the Bible David says, in 1 Samuel 22:19 (NIV), “They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support.” Essentially, the biblical David was saying that he had actively sought support from the Lord and the Lord came through. David was asking the Lord to help him solve the problem earlier rather than later. He desired a solution and found a way to look ahead. King David was great at solving problems but made it a practice to consult the Lord. He did it when he was tested by Goliath. He wasn’t afraid to take on a giant when he had the Lord on his side.

1 Samuel 17:47 (NIV): “And everyone will know that the LORD does not need weapons to rescue his people. It is His battle, not ours. The LORD will give you to us!”

The bottom line is that my friend David Eberly came through the trials because he put his *soul in the hollow of God’s hand.* He trusted the Lord and followed God’s instructions. The biblical David did the same thing when he adhered to the direction that God took him. When David went into battles on his own accord, things didn’t go as well. Maybe there is a lesson there for us as well. Through many tests we will find strength because the tests provide the building of perseverance.

The Bible actually says that we are going to be stronger when we go through tests. James 1:2-6 (NIV) says,

*Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.*

I believe the ultimate plan of action for attacking a crisis is to consult God. He will show the way to escape the problems. The whole plan for recovery from a trying circumstance in life is found in the Bible. One of the prerequisites to using any plan is to find faith in the strategy you have developed.

Merriam-Webster defines faith as “Belief and trust in and loyalty to God.” The key to starting a positive recovery in life is to develop and utilize a firm faith in God.

I remember a time when I was starting the airline business and we were attempting to obtain financing for the first airplane that we would use to haul freight. We investigated sources of financing all over the country and found no one willing to take a chance on a start-up airline. That was the initial feedback from every source I investigated and I began to panic and feel we were going to be out of business before we started. I was willing to take any financing available. I just wanted the problem solved, and now. I never thought of praying about the situation or waiting. That seemed to be the solution for a weakling and I certainly wanted to avoid that classification.

Finally, a finance company offered us a deal and I jumped on it without hesitating. Shortly after making the initial acceptance, one of our finance guys suggested I evaluate the cash flow of the company. When I did that I realized that we could not afford to accept the deal. We could never make a profit.

I spoke with a banker friend and told him about the issue. This friend also was a Christian and he gave some very valuable advice. He was very professional but he stepped out of his normal banker role in this instance to tell me that I was making a mistake. He said I would not find the answer to the financing problem by hurrying the process. He said simply, wait on God. His premise was straightforward and something I should have considered all along as we processed the start-up of our new company. He felt that God was in charge, and if we acknowledged that control, good things would happen. My partners and I backed off, waited on an acceptable offer, and were rewarded with a reasonable deal a week later. The lesson was not lost in my life, as I began to realize that if God is involved things go much better. The solution may be not what we expect, but God’s participation allows us to follow His will. Again, faith is the key.

“Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)

---

**Next chapter:** Check Ride – Testing Your Faith!

**Full book:** https://deanrush.net/downloads/flyingfreebook.md