I am a thirty year plus year fan of Star Trek. I never saw the original series during the first release. However, I have watched the second, third, and umpteenth versions. I think I have seen all 67 original episodes, virtually every Next Generation show, as well as the 2 programs that are classified as a spin off. My favorite characters are always dealing with the issues that we face today. They lead fights against injustice, bigotry, materialism, domination by one over another, and greed.
My life motto for many of my young years was a Vulcan greeting and farewell saying; live long and prosper. I knew, regardless of any other rhetoric, that this is what I wanted from life. I did not know how. I wondered if the motto was pure or sound. However, it was what it is, my true expression of what I desired from life.
In reflection, I would add a bit to the words but my desires have not really changed in the past thirty years. I still want to get the most out of life. I still want to experience it to the full. The only variation is prosper, I define this differently. Gone are the mind maps of cars and boats. Inserted are the faces of two young women who call me dad and a third who is my best friend although I cannot figure out why. My definition of prosper includes words like peace, sharing life with someone you love, and walking with confidence and hope of the future. These items are priceless. They are also things I did not have in my youth and desperately wanted.
I have tried many different paths and ways to fulfill my desires. In the end, I discovered what Solomon had already shared. “Honor God with everything you own; give him the first and the best. Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over.” (Proverbs 3.9,10)
Take heart. You have a God who wants to give you everything you desire. My wish for you is this; live long and prosper.
