Little Rachel was born an only child to a pair of hard-working and socially prominent teachers. She grew up in a home that was constantly abuzz with visiting academics and local luminaries - entertained by bright, and committed parents whose schedules necessitated employing a full-time nanny named Hannah, to tend to little Rachel.
One day, Hannah noticed that young Rachel was exhibiting some troubling signs of maturity. She had begun to talk down to her friends. She was getting mean, bossy, and selfish. It seemed that Rachel had noticed how well-respected and recognized her parents were and it was going to her head.
Her nanny wondered what to do.
So one day, while walking through the park, Hannah steered Rachel over to an injured bird, lying on the ground, with a broken wing, unable to fly.
Hannah scooped up the bird in a shoe box, which immediately captivated young Rachel, who was shown how to feed and water the injured creature.
At every turn in the ensuing days, Rachel could be found caring for the bird, not just feeding, but singing, reading, and talking to this little feathered one. Rachel used her allowance to buy provisions and had given up video games and her iPhone to spend more time taking care of the sickly bird.
Weeks later, the bird was strong enough to fly and with great celebration, was released into a nearby park.
But not only had the bird's condition improved, so had Rachel's. Tending to that injured creature had produced a noticeable change in Rachel's demeanor - she was happier with herself, less critical of friends and more eager to be helpful and supportive of others.
It's as if she had discovered what you and I will learn this Sunday in the words of Jesus:
“If your first concern is to look after yourself, you’ll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you’ll find both yourself and me."
When we follow the world's advice of 'looking after number one' - ourselves, first, we sooner or later find out we've been sold a bill of goods.
It's not about the stuff: possessions, power, or prestige - history is littered with the tragic stories of people who spent their lives in full-throttle pursuit of them only to discover how unfulfilling they really are.
Don't live your life for that, it's a trap.
Almighty God is found in humble service.
The king is found in the servant, nobility in humility.
Go out and help somebody today.
Call a lonely friend.
Visit someone sick.
There's somebody in need just waiting to hear from you.
Losing yourself is the best way to find yourself.
