Dixie Stampede, Pigeon Forge, TN

There is an attraction in Pigeon Forge, TN by the above name to which Rachel and I went on our honeymoon nearly seventeen years ago. It is in a huge barn-shaped restaurant, surrounding an arena. A horse/rodeo show is the entertainment while you are served your dinner, which you eat with your hands.  Half the audience sits on the “North” side and root for the blue. Half sit on the “South” side and root for the gray. When we first sat down, a female employee came by and asked if we would like to be a part of the show.

I hesitated too long. Rachel quickly agreed, excited to be riding a horse again. She had a couple horses in high school, selling the last one as she went to college. Rachel loves horses. She loves to paint them especially.  I, on the other hand, had been on a horse maybe twice in my life and once was the day before!  I began sweating. I could see myself bucked off a horse in front of several hundred people and remaining maimed the rest of my life.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” I tentatively ask my new wife. “Yes, it will be fun.” About middle of the way through our meal – which I am not able to enjoy for fear of what lies ahead – the woman returns and asks if we are still interested. “Yes!” comes Rachel’s quick response. I am a newlywed and do not want to appear too fearful but I was not enjoying Dixie Stampede much at all. I do not remember anything else about the show.

When the lady returned at the end of the meal, I knew I had to follow through. She took us down to the holding area and explained that we would be riding a horse together. There were about four other couples with us. We would ride the horse in a barrel race, running to the barrel at the other end of the arena and back; the first one to pass the finish line wins. I was thoroughly nervous – until they brought out the horses we would ride. Stick horses! I then felt as foolish of my fears as I had felt nervous throughout the whole meal! I’m just glad I kept most of my fears to myself.

Rachel and I made it to the barrel and back the fastest of the couples. But, we were disqualified because we did not go around the barrel at the other end. In my worry and fear, I was not listening closely to the directions. We were disqualified and lost the competition. The North (naturally) went on to win.
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The apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 9:25-27: “Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” Disqualified. Paul writes that it is possible to be disqualified in the spiritual race. If you do not exercise self-control and listen and follow God’s directions, you can be disqualified when you reach the finish line.

Speaking of false teachers in 2 Timothy 3:6-8, he also wrote: “For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith.”

Don’t find yourself disqualified when you stand before God. Follow the rules. Read and study the Bible daily. Then do it.

–Paul Holland

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