Each year around Memorial Day I try to reflect on what I can learn and subsequently write about from this important day. Two years ago, following the death of my grandfather who became a Marine during World War II, I wrote about the opportunity we have to live fully because of the sacrifice made by others (click here to read the post). In my grandfather’s case, he lost two of his brothers in World War II and chose to make the most of the life they had not had the opportunity to live. Last year, I wrote about the willingness of people in the military to sacrifice for something greater than themselves and what we can learn about living with meaning from the way they lived (click here to read the post).

As I reflect on Memorial Day this year, this thought comes to mind: living is a choice.

You might be tempted to say that is not entirely true. For instance, we didn’t choose to be born. That choice was made by someone, or someone-s, else. We also don’t choose to make our hearts beat. Incredibly, they keep the right rhythm to keep us alive without any real input from us. The examples could go on and on. Being alive, in the most basic sense, is not a choice, one could argue. I would agree with that argument. However, this is not the kind of living to which I am referring.

So what kind of living am I talking about? Let’s take a look at a tree to get some clarity. Does a tree choose to be alive? As far as we know, the answer is no. A tree sprouts from a seed, and if the conditions are right, grows into a sapling and eventually into a fully grown tree. Does it choose to have leaves, or fruit, or to push out new branches? While it is hard to know for sure, as far as we can tell the answer is again no. If the tree receives the nutrients it needs and the conditions are ideal for growth and thriving, the tree will do what it was made to do. If it is an apple tree, it will produce apples. If it is an oak tree, it will be filled with leaves and acorns. A tree does not choose to be alive, and it doesn’t get to decide not to maximize it’s potential.

Now how about you and me? Well, we are similar to the tree any some ways as I suggested earlier. We will exist if the conditions are right. What about maximizing our potential? This is where things change. Where the tree takes advantage of the resources and opportunities available to whether it “wants to or not”, we are much different. We can decide to just exist instead of actually living. We can have everything we need to maximize our potential and produce “fruit”, but decide to ignore the opportunity. Unlike most other creatures on earth, we have the capacity to to choose existence, even when thriving would be the path of least resistance.

Before I go any further, let me recognize that this is a complex issue in many cases. Our circumstances, mental health, past, and much more can play a big role in this choice. By no means do I mean to minimize the challenges many people face. In fact, in my book, Hope Realized, I discuss the heartbreaking reality many face. I look at it from the perspective of poverty and the hopelessness it produces, but this can be the case for people in many different situations. The truth is we live in a broken world and overcoming the brokenness can be incredibly difficult for many.

With all of that said, outside of these cases, we are left with a choice. Do we choose to just exist or do we choose life? Reflecting on the sacrifice of many that we remember on Memorial Day, I am again reminded of the opportunity they have given us. They willingly put themselves in harm’s way so that others could pursue a full life. This is a sobering thought and should spur us on to maximize our potential.

I am also reminded that in choosing to sacrifice for something greater than themselves, they were choosing to live. This is not to suggest that they wanted to pay the ultimate price to give freedom to others–this was certainly not their plan or desire. Instead, their choice was to live a life of meaning and significance. They chose to live a life that counted and left a legacy. They chose living instead of playing it safe and just existing. This should teach us something.

As you remember Memorial Day this year, I hope you will reflect on the opportunity you have been given. We live in the midst of much brokenness, but that does not mean we have to allow it to define us. We can make the choice to truly live. We can maximize our potential and live a life that matters. The sacrifice of others has played an enormous role in our ability to make this choice. Let’s honor their lives by choosing to live.

Happy Memorial Day!

James Belt

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