Turning Off The Cruise Control Series

Turning Off the Cruise Control

Acts 17:1-9

Did you know that there are awards given for the most ridiculous lawsuits won in the course of a year? THIS YEAR’S AWARDS GO TO:

5TH PLACE (TIED) Kathleen Robertson of Austin, Texas was awarded $780,000 by a jury of her peers after breaking her ankle tripping over a toddler who was running inside a furniture store. The owners of the store were understandably surprised at the verdict, considering the misbehaving toddler was Ms.Robertson’s Son.

5TH PLACE (TIED) 19 year old Carl Truman of Los Angeles won $74,000 and medical expenses when his neighbor ran over his hand with a Honda Accord. Mr. Truman apparently did not notice there was someone at the wheel of the car when he was trying to steal the hubcaps.

5TH PLACE (TIED) Terrence Dickson of Bristol, Pennsylvania was leaving a house he had just finished robbing by way of the garage. He was not able to get the garage door to go up since the automatic door Opener was malfunctioning. He could not re-enter the house because the door connecting the house and garage locked when he pulled it shut. The family was on vacation and Mr.Dickson found himself locked in the garage for 8 days. He subsisted on a case of Pepsi he found and a large bag of dry dog food. He sued the homeowner’s insurance claiming the situation caused him undue mental anguish. The Jury agreed to the tune of $500,000.

4TH PLACE Jerry Williams of Little Rock, Arkansas was awarded $14,500 and medical expenses after being bitten by his next door neighbor’s Beagle dog. The Beagle was on a chain in its owner’s fenced yard. The award was less than sought because the jury felt the dog might have been a little provoked at the time as Mr. Williams, who had climbed over the fence into the yard, was shooting it repeatedly with a pellet gun.

3RD PLACE A Philadelphia restaurant was ordered to pay Amber Carson of Lancaster, Pennsylvania $113,500 after she slipped on a soft drink and broke a bone. The beverage was on the floor because Ms. Carson had thrown it at her boyfriend 30 seconds earlier, during an argument.

2ND PLACE Kara Walton of Claymont, Delaware sued the owner of a Night Club in a neighboring city when she fell from the bathroom window to the floor and knocked out two of her front teeth. This occurred whilst Ms. Walton was trying to sneak in the window of the Ladies Room to avoid paying the$3.50 cover charge. She was awarded $12,000 and dental expenses.

1ST PLACE This year’s runaway winner was Mr. Merv Grazinski of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Mr. Grazinski purchased a brand new Winnebago Motorhome. On his trip home from an OU football game, having driven onto the freeway, he set the cruise control at 70 mph and calmly left the driver’s seat to go into the back and make himself a cup of coffee. Not surprisingly the RV left the freeway, crashed and overturned. Mr. Grazinski sued Winnebago for not advising him in the owner’s manual that he could not actually do this. The jury awarded him $1,750,000 plus a new Winnebago Motorhome. The company actually changed their manuals on the basis of this suit just in case there were any other complete morons buying their recreational vehicles."

Ever wished you could just put your life on cruise control and go make yourself a cup of coffee and relax? While there is nothing wrong with a little rest and relaxation, be careful that you do not mistake the cruise control for autopilot. You may not make it to the jury for an award. The result may be that you realize your final reward!

The problem with being content

is that it is one step away

from being comfy.

To be content means

“to limit oneself in requirements, desires, or actions”

Contentment means that I do not feel that I have to put pressure on myself to what needs to be done. I can simply sit back and let the cruise control maintain the speed I travel.

To be comfortable means

“to enjoy ease, free from stress, tension, worry”

If I get too content with my circumstances, I might be like Mr. Grazinski and put my life on autopilot and just wait to see what happens. The easy way is not always the best way. Just because we have followed a certain pattern before does not mean that that way will work today!

If I always do what I’ve always done,

I’ll always get what I’ve always gotten!

- Dr. John Maxwell -

The chapter of the life of the Apostle Paul we are viewing today has God sending Paul on a detour from the comfortable plan. God loves to do just that to us: take us away from the comfortable so that we will learn to depend on Him.