A bit of wisdom I keep coming back to is “trust what lies beneath”. Whatever we do, regardless of the outcome of our decisions or behaviour, as long as our intention is good, or at least neutral, then we can afford to keep our peace of mind. Sometimes we do things that cause grief. Sometimes we hurt others. Sometimes we make a complete dick of ourself. But as long our intentions or motives are not malicious or grim, then we can afford to be at peace with ourself - regardless of other people’s feelings or opinions, and regardless of the outcome of the situation. This takes strength of spirit, of course, but to seek harmony within is what really counts, regardless of what goes on ‘without’.
I watched Michael Caine’s ‘Alife’ last night, and was deeply moved. That fella was like a like a lost ship on the ocean. He didn’t have a clue in life. Yet his character was completely endearing. His intentions and motives simply weren’t bad. They were just misguided. According to his model of the world, success in life meant to pull as many women as possible, to not get emotionally attached to any of them, and to make sure that he didn’t get hurt. Yet throughout his experiences, he made two girls pregnant, one of which had an abortion, and the other he abandoned because he couldn’t handle the emotional commitmentand, and he ended up with no direction in life.
Alfie’s final words in the film were: “When I look back on my little life and the birds I’ve known, and think of all the things I’ve done for me, and the little I’ve done for them, you’d think I’d have the best of it all along the line. But what have I got out of it? I’ve got my health; I ain’t attached; and I’ve made a bob or two along the way. But I ain’t got my peace of mind. And if you ain’t got that, you ain’t got nothing. So what’s the answer? That’s what I keep asking myself. What’s it all about?”
In my view, Alfie could have kept his peace of mind all along. He could have trusted “what lies beneath”, because his intentions simply weren’t bad. Whatever he did in life, it was ‘where he was at’, and he had no choice in the matter. This principle can be applied to us all. What's more, it can be taken to its ultimate level, in the sense that all our lives are grounded in grace. Even if our intentions are malicious or grim, we can afford to keep our peace of mind, because whoever we are and whatever we do, it’s ‘where we’re at’. God's love is deep and eternal, beyond our human understanding. We are all immortal. We can “trust what lies beneath”.