An old Chinese proverb says that a picture is worth a thousand words.  My recollection of the first time that I heard that adage is foggy.  But, I do recognize that I have heard it repeated many times in my lifetime.

It’s one of those sayings that fits with my psyche.  For a long time I have known that I am a visual person.  That is my style of learning, speaking and thinking.

The Chinese language in its written form is a system of pictures not an alphabet.  That makes for a complicated linguistic system that is not easily mastered. Yet, it gives its written language an embedded art form of calligraphy that is highly prized.

Culturally, the best educated have learned the discipline of calligraphy.  The product of putting ink on paper is an artform.  It is highly revered and beautifully symbolic as an expression of the culture.

The Chinese word used at the beginning of this blog means “Happiness.”  I remember a wonderful conversation about happiness.  Mutually, it was agreed that in our past we thought that happiness was superficial, emotional and temporary.  Yet, the more we talked the less we were convinced that we had it right.

There is something about this Chinese word that may help.  This word also means “Blessing.”  This single Chinese character is made up of four different words.  Together the four words make up a story that gives meaning to the term blessing.

On the left hand side there are five strokes of the brush.  You can see that they are connected together.  This is the word for God. 

Then on the right side of the word are three words stacked on top of each other.  The single stroke on the top is the word for “one.”  Below that is the rectangle that is the word for “breath.”  And finally the plus sign in the box is the word for “garden.”

In the Garden of Eden before there was sin, man enjoyed the best fellowship with God that was possible.  Nothing got in the way of their conversation or enjoyment of each other.  God’s Word or His breath in communicating was enjoyed by the first man and woman, it was the best possible kind of blessing that could be imagined. 

There’s a lot more to “Happiness” than meets the eye.  Brief immediate delight is wonderful.  But, so is the blessing of deep and meaningful communication with the Almighty GOd.