I rub the scar on my knee, the residue left behind after surgery to repair a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and meniscus, and I am reminded that the tragedy I caused began by misunderstanding pain. Like a serpentine river and its many branches, the scar formed of multiple incisions runs down the center of my kneecap. Seven years later, these still-numb lacerations are reminders that pain out of perspective is pain without purpose.After I discovered I had injured my knee in the last professional soccer game I would ever play (though I did not know that at the time), I allowed out-of-perspective pain to leave me without proper perspective. At the time of the injury, I thought, “Woe is me,” which automatically had my future in professional soccer hanging in the balance. I had already weighed my future against the pain and believed I’d never play again. I was right — but not because of my knee injury, but because my out-of-perspective pain led to infinitely greater pain caused by me.I thought I knew pain on March 1, 2009, the day I tore my knee. I would have said I was well acquainted with pain, that I was familiar with pain, that I understood pain. But just six days later, the early morning of March 7, I would learn about real pain. March 6 fell on a Friday, and I was feeling sorry for myself about my possible career-ending injury and that sorrow led to a false sense of entitlement. Pride. So I hit the Philly bar scene with friends. Drinking away my pain and leaning into my pride. Hours later, I would feel real pain with the realization that I had ended someone’s life. This pain, which is with me as vividly today as it was at that moment, has taught me about my out-of-balance perspective and the arrogant me.I had missed the major lesson in the minor pain. You see, the initial pain should have humbled me, and I should have limped straight to God with all my pain--physical and emotional. It didn’t have to come to this. Humility can be learned without tragedy. I challenge others to humble themselves before out-of-perspective pain does it for them. Again, you can choose humility or humiliation will choose you. I once again rub the scar on my knee, and I am reminded of all that God has healed in my past. This scar has a story to tell about the purpose of pain and sorrow; and with two very big events these next 2 weeks--speaking at "a Closer Walk" in Wildwood and doing an interview with Dr. James Dobson in Colorado--it is my prayer that God would continue to prove that He brings beauty from ashes. I know that scars may be ugly, but God sees a story.