The Abrupt Moods of the Spring Portuguese Seashore.

This morning, the sea spoke of tranquility. The waves peacefully lapped on the sandy shore. The ocean shone its calming blue tones. Walkers shed their worries as they absorbed its peaceful message and murmured softly to their partners. We were taken inland on an errand, but glimpsed the quiescent waters from afar and were attracted to the serenity. We delayed to consume our midday repast, but were then caught by her abrupt change of mood.

As we set out to stroll the strand, we suddenly realized the wind had kicked up with a slight chill. The ocean acted insulted and withdrew under a gray bank of clouds. She was looking askance at something through her green mood. As we strolled over the beige grains, we began to feel her spittle. We withdrew to the base of the cliff to garner a respite from the chilling winds, but she darkened her cover. Fearful of further reprisals should we tarry unwelcome in her domain, we retreated back to town and sat on a window bench under an overhang. She sent wisps of the wind to seek us out and slowly cooled us in our nook. We ventured forth to retrace our steps to find the moisture had thickened to a steady rain, so we scurried home. The mood seemed to pass quickly, since she welcomed the sun again.

In days past, after a day of warm cheer, she suddenly has developed a mood of cold iron. It is like she wasn’t just emotional over her treatment, but had worked her way to cold rage. She sent her wind howling, and her waves pounded the disobedient shore. She put everyone in a gray somber mood. In her worst moods, she’ll brusquely add a dank deluge of descending dampness. Gone is the sauntering, but instead, people bustling about their business, eager to escape to the enervating ire of the ocean, they return home. The day dwindles into a dim, depressing darkness.

The next morning might dawn to one of her brown moods. She welcomes the sun with a bit of breeze, but she hasn’t fully overcome her mood. Her waves still batter the unrepentant shore, stirring the caramel grains to cover herself in a hazel coat. Sometime during the day, she hastily changes and out emerges her blue sunny peaceful side. In the afternoon, she enriches us with that silver, a silver she spreads to all who desire. As evening descends, even the poorest can benefit from her gold, and if you are lucky, by the last light, she will glow a cheerful red upon you. Beware, though, her mood will be abruptly different tomorrow.

I have anthropomorphized the ocean, but consider our lot. The world can throw her many moods upon us, seeking to have us join in. As Christians, we also say, “Satan seeks to control us by jerking our emotions hither and yon.” Furthermore, we can turn our own way, separating ourselves from God, and entering our own green, gray, or brown moods. It need not be. There are no abrupt mood changes with God. There is no shadow of turning with Him. He hands us eagles wings and invites us to don them. Once on, His gentle breeze lifts us above the changeable weather to where the sun always shines. Outside, the storms may rage, but inside, if we don’t let the storms frighten us, we can rise to His sunny loving Power. Oh how I yearn to wear those eagles wings always, never doffing them out of fear.