Why do we fall?

Heartbreak. The feeling that comes from an unexpected course change in life. The realization that your script is about to be rewritten without notice.

Marcus Lattimore experienced one such course change today during a football game against the Tennessee Volunteers. With five minutes left in the second quarter, the hand off went to Lattimore on second and ten. He rushed to the left side only to be caught up around the knees by a defensive back. Tripping over another player, Lattimore's right leg twisted around as he was slammed to the ground, his knee bending in ways that a knee is not meant to bend.

If that were me, I likely would have blacked out on the spot. Marcus Lattimore immediately went to his back, knowing exactly what had just happened. The trainers and coaches rushed to his side, refusing to allow the young player to see his mangled leg. But Lattimore did not need to see it; he already knew. His story was about to change in a severe way. For anyone watching that young man lay on the field, the look on his face set it all: he was heartbroken.

It's hard enough watching someone you don't know experience that kind of pain. It's even more difficult watching someone very close to you go through a sudden and unexpected detour. Almost ten years ago, my brother started losing his vision in both eyes. You could see the demeanor in his face change over time as he was told that his optic nerves were deteriorating, and then having his license suspended, and finally realizing just how much he was going to have to depend on other people for the rest of his life. He was heartbroken.

One of the most iconic lines from any of (the Great) Christopher Nolan's Batman films comes from Batman Begins. After a young Bruce Wayne falls down a well and breaks his arm, his father is carrying him home along with his butler, Alfred. Mr. Wayne looks at his son and says, "Why do we fall, Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up." At that moment, every audience member knows that this is going to be a great story.

Over the next few months, Marcus Lattimore is going to have a lot of internal turmoil to deal with. He will have to make some very tough decisions, and he will have to face some very hard facts. These next few months will change him.

My brother was changed, but not for the worse. Yes, losing your vision can be a very crippling thing. As with any heartbreak, no matter how big or small, a choice has to be made. A person can either give up, or they can press forward, stronger than before. My brother bounced back. If you met him today, you might notice that he's blind, but you would not be able to see how it's held him back because it really hasn't. He is now married with two children and one more on the way. He has a great house, and is working towards a career as a marriage and grief counselor, as well as an audio producer.

I truly feel for Marcus Lattimore. An injury like that has to be devastating. I pray that his choices over the next few months show those around him that this setback doesn't define him. He may not return to football, but his life is not over. He faces the choice of how he will impact the lives that he comes into contact with. I look forward to hearing more about his story.

Until then, I will run for you, Mr. Lattimore. I am nowhere close to being a running back on a football team, but I will run for you. And I am praying for you.

Praying for you all.

Keep your head up, and your eyes forward.