Moods are incredibly mysterious. I am always trying to attempt to explain them... he/she/I/you am grumpy/happy/annoyed because of...
But sometimes there is no real explanation... even then I want to say, "they woke up on the wrong side of the bed." Isn't it strange how you can wake up in a good or bad mood? I'm sure these matters can be explained chemically in the brain, but even then, do we know why our chemicals do what they do? It is certainly hard to parse out the difference of a physical/emotional/spiritual mood.
My 'down' state of the last few months was a real battle, it was the ditch that I had to 'climb out of' each day. Being joyful took a real effort as my anxieties seemed to crowd out peace. It was illusive despite my attempts to grab it or find it through exercise, Bible reading, knowledge, etc. I'm sure my hubby would have appreciated a 'mood ring' on my hand that would make him aware of my delicate state... perhaps a 'mood dial' would be better. We are currently reading a sci-fi book where people can dial in the mood they desire on their machine in order to feel what they desire. Sometimes, I wish it was as simple as that.
There is something so incredibly human about having moods. I like to attribute moods to our pets Gill (snake) and Jericho (cat). And while, I might be somewhat accurate with Jericho-- I think he really has about 6 moods-- feisty, playful, cuddly, sleepy and bored. On our playful 'face your feelings' chart taped to the refrigerator there are over 88 moods-- and I'm sure the list isn't exhaustive. That's an insane amount of nuances to this little thing we call 'mood'. And we love to share our moods with others! Isn't that the whole point of bookface updates? I want the world to know MY mood!
And understandably so. To recognize and reflect another's mood can be healing-- it is the mark of empathy. To mourn when another mourns and rejoice when another rejoices. (Romans 12:5) In this sci-fi book the very ability to empathize properly is the litmus test whether it is a person or android. I guess the question is ... how human are you?
Gratefully God does not chastise our change and torrent of emotions, He is the great sympathizer. The one who will "comfort those who mourn" (Matthew 5:4) understanding our weakness (Hebrews 4:15). Somehow this ability to feel is incredibly marked from our Maker.
