By G.P. Avants

(If you haven’t seen Star Trek Beyond, there are a few spoilers in this blog.)

Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock are both going through a mid-mission crisis in their lives. While Kirk is able to talk about issues freely, Spock shares his life-changing decision with Uhura, before anyone knows things are about to radically change.

 

As Spock often does, he muses, simmers, and buries his angst under furrowed pointed brows. He hears the news that the elder version of himself has died. Spock now shoulders the burden of finishing the work to rebuild his people’s lives. He is planning on leaving the Enterprise family and helping to rebuild New Vulcan. Maybe he looks at the outgoing and influential people around him and wonders how he stacks up with them? He really does live a quiet life that isn’t as flamboyant as Kirk, or action packed as Scotty or constantly edgy as Doctor McCoy.  Somehow, in his thoughts, Spock might be thinking that he really belongs somewhere else. Before he has time to have that talk with Kirk, things change in a moment.  The eminent destruction of the Enterprise forces the crew to go their separate ways without a chance to say goodbye.

 

As Spock deals with death and loss he meets up with Kirk, McCoy, Scotty, and Chekov he wrestles with how to say goodbye to his crew mates. I am sure in his logical mind, he assumes that they will be better off without him.  I swear it seems out of everyone’s lips, at some point on this rescue mission, they commented how could they do any of this without Spock. He was the voice of reason in crisis, provided life-saving information, and shot out thoughtful comments when they all needed to hear it. That brought out the best of what makes this crew more like a close-knit family. I am sure Spock’s pending decision was like a Klingon Bat’leth through his Vulcan heart.  What was he giving up here for something he felt certain he was destined to do? Spock is torn.

However, what pushed Spock in the direction he should go was a picture he found in Spock’s last personal items. His fingers slowly and cautiously opened up a special little box that had very special memories for the Elder Spock.

It contained a picture of the original crew of the Enterprise. Talk about a picture being worth a thousand words.  Spock then knew what decision he needed to make and still keep his real family together. (They managed to tug at the chords of us Star Trek fans with a few chords of the original theme song, too.)

What would that picture be without you, Spock?

 

If you have ever felt like you don’t belong and you walk that lonely road alone?

We all come to crisis at the worst time in our lives. That’s how life is. Remember that you have a place where you belong and are wanted and needed. God has blessed you with friends, family, and acquaintances that wouldn’t be the same without YOU in their lives.