First thing in the morning, when I give her food and water, and as she meows to me about her evening and how hungry she is, her tail is speaking for itself, positioned straight up with the tip hooked to the left which, according to a feline website I read, means she is absolutely delighted to see me!
When Sophie is sitting in the bedroom as my husband and I sit in our recliners and read, I will notice her tail wrapped around her body or just lazily slung out by her legs with just the tip moving occasionally. But when I begin to talk with her and ask her what she's doing over there, her tail begins to perk up a bit in response to my voice since she knows I'm talking to her. Relaxed but aware.
Whenever the whim hits her, my daughter Hannah will hold Sophie when Sophie would rather be somewhere else (since she is often disturbed from a relaxed cat nap prior to this position); her tail says it all as it swoops from side to side or flicks its annoyance in different directions, saying, let me go before I get ripping mad.
I often see Sophie walking through the house with her tail down; I call this her investigative mode. She's busy sniffing the perimeters of the rooms, keeping a feline eye on things, making sure she's not missing anything (perhaps a needed hunting expedition). I sometimes ask her what's she's looking for, but she's too busy to pay any attention to me as she puts on her 'inspector' tail.
Yes, my cat is easy to read, most of the time. People are another matter. Especially in new situations. When you look into a person's face, they are often hard to read. Now, there are people who are like an open book: they are pleasant as they display their emotions, having nothing to hide. They show sincere interest in you. But this type of person is a rare breed: a refreshing breeze in a stale-aired world.
Typically, it's easy for people to misread other people based on their facial expression. They say you can't judge a book by its cover, but often, that's exactly what we do. It can be the only way to get to know a person, unless they open themselves up to you.
That's why it's reassuring to me that unlike man, who looks on the outward appearance, the Lord looks at the heart,(I Sam. 16:7) which is what God told Samuel when he was looking for the next king of Israel.
God doesn't judge a man from the outside but from the inside. He knows our intentions and our motives even better than we know them ourselves. And when we read His Word, it reveals to us the thoughts and intents of our hearts. (Heb.4:12)
Unlike people, God will never 'misread' me based on my outward expression. He always gets me right.
Sophie never hesitates to show her feelings through her tail. It just comes naturally.
How readable are you?
© by Dawn Herring
