The man was at the top of his game. His professional career was at full throttle, moving from one success to another. Yet he was also admired for his love and sacrifices for his family. Though many disagreed with his religious convictions, no one questioned his virtue or sincerity. Everything he touched seemed to turn to gold.
Then, without warning, a debilitating illness struck. His wealth and prestige assured him quality medical care, but availed the man little. His condition kept deteriorating. In short order, the man expired.
Perhaps you’ve known such a person. I’ve known some, and their stories are undoubtedly tragedies, especially when spouse and children are left to grieve a dramatic, unexpected departure. You can’t help but wonder if you might become that person, despite relative youth or good health. “That won’t happen to me,” we say. But many people whom we thought it could never happen to . . . well, it happened to them.
The great seventeenth-century French polymath Blaise Pascal could very well have wrestled with such thoughts. He made impressive contributions to math, science, and philosophy before his thirtieth birthday – including creating a calculator that has been called the first “computer.” The
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