여름휴가는 여러 형태로 가질 수 있을 것입니다. 저는 지난 7일부터 13 일까지 한 주간의 이번 여름휴가를 가족과 함께 하는 휴가로 보냈습니다. 마침 지난해에 프랑스로 간 큰 아들네 식구들, 아들은 못 오고 며느리와 손녀 둘이 귀국한다고 해서 고향에서 어머님을 모시고 서울서 지내는 둘째 아들까지 합세해서 4박 5일의 휴가를 제주도 명성선교수양관에서 보내고 돌아왔습니다. 식구들이 다 모인 것은 아니지만 4대가 함께 모인 가족휴가를 자연이 참 아름다운 제주도에서 보낼 수 있어서 감사했습니다.
주일예배는 명성수양관에서 봉사하는 분들과 우리처럼 휴가로 머무는 사람들, 그리고 원하는 현지 사람들이 모여서 수양관 내에 있는 예배실에서 영상으로 드렸습니다. 사실 마음 한 편 영상으로 드리는 예배여서 조금은 불안하기도 했지만 기도를 들으신 하나님께서 그 때 그 때 적극적으로 반응하는 명성 식구들의 분위기 때문에 현장에 버금가는 은혜로운 오전예배를 드렸습니다. 그런데 하필 저녁예배 시간이 양궁 결선전과 맞물려서 잠깐 고민되었는데, 먼저 일어서는 어머님 모습을 통해서 귀한 도전을 받았습니다. 삶에서 하나님을 최우선으로 섬기는 모습은 예배시간을 그 무엇보다 우선시하는 것이라는 새로운 감명을 받았습니다.
그리고 월요일 오후는 섬나라 제주도 곳곳에 펼쳐진 해수욕장 한 곳을 찾았습니다. 한 주간 전에 제주도 새생명 훈련 때 다녀온 김녕해수욕장에 손녀들을 데리고 갔습니다. 휴가준비로 거금 삼만오천 원을 들어서 할아버지는 고무보트를 사고 할머니는 스노클을 준비했는데 두 손녀를 위해서 딱 들어맞았습니다. 큰손녀는 그 작은 얼굴에 큰 물안경을 쓰고 막대로 숨을 쉬면서 시간가는 줄을 모르고 즐기는 모습을 보면서 역시 하부지 손녀라는 생각이 들었습니다. 게다가 작은손녀는 얼굴을 물에 넣는 것을 두려워해서 딱 한 번 스노클을 사용하고는 계속해서 고무보트를 떠나지 않았습니다. 물론 점심은 달인의 경지에 이른 할아버지표 바비큐였겠지요^^
그동안 훌쩍 자라긴 했지만 아침이면 시무룩하고 밤 열시가 넘으면 기분이 최고에 도달해서 도무지 잠을 자려고 하지 않는 그 모습은 변하지 않았습니다. 억지로 굿 나이트 뽀뽀를 하고 잠을 재우곤 했지만 4박 5일의 짧은 만남 뒤에는 굿바이 뽀뽀를 하려고 했더니 첫째는 여느 때처럼 작별뽀뽀를 했는데 둘째는 전혀 듣지 못한 것처럼 반응을 보이더군요. 이별이 감당하기 어려운 아이를 보면서 이처럼 우리 모두를 다르게 지으신 하나님께 그들의 내일을 맡길 뿐입니다. 이번 여름에 할아버지가 해줄 수 있는 일은 끝났기 때문입니다.
Summer vacations can take many forms. From the 7th to the 13th, I spent this one-week summer vacation together with my family. My eldest son’s family moved to France last year, and while my son could not join us, my daughter-in-law and two granddaughters visited Korea. So, bringing my mother along from our hometown, and joined by my second son living in Seoul, we spent a four-night, five-day vacation at the Myungsung Mission Retreat Center on Jeju Island before returning home. Though the entire family could not gather, I was deeply grateful that four generations could share a family vacation amidst the breathtaking nature of Jeju Island.
For Sunday worship, we gathered in the retreat center’s chapel alongside the staff serving there, other vacationing visitors like us, and local residents who wished to join, worshiping through a broadcast service. To be honest, I felt a slight unease in my heart about holding an online broadcast service. Yet, God heard our prayers, and thanks to the responsive and engaged atmosphere of the Myungsung family, we were blessed with a morning service as grace-filled as being there in person. However, the evening service happened to coincide with the Olympic archery finals, causing a brief moment of hesitation. But seeing my mother stand up first to go to worship challenged me deeply. I received fresh inspiration witnessing that putting God first in our lives means prioritizing the hour of worship above all else.
On Monday afternoon, we visited one of the many beaches dotting Jeju Island. I took my granddaughters to Gimnyeong Beach, a place I had visited just a week earlier during the Jeju New Life Training. In preparation for the trip, Grandfather spent a hefty thirty-five thousand won on an inflatable rubber boat, and Grandmother prepared snorkels, which proved to be an absolute hit with our two granddaughters. Watching my older granddaughter put on a large mask over her tiny face and breathe through the snorkel tube, completely losing track of time, I couldn't help thinking, "She is definitely her grandpa's granddaughter." On the other hand, the younger one was afraid to put her face in the water, so after trying the snorkel just once, she refused to leave the rubber boat. And of course, lunch was Grandfather's master-level barbecue!^^
Although they have grown so much in the meantime, they still pout in the mornings and reach the peak of their energy past ten at night, stubbornly refusing to go to sleep—some things never change. I used to coax them to bed with a reluctant goodnight kiss. But after our brief five-day reunion, when it came time for a goodbye kiss, while the older one gave her farewell kiss as usual, the younger one acted as if she hadn't heard me at all. Seeing a child who finds goodbyes so hard to bear, I can only entrust their tomorrow to God, who created each of us so uniquely. For this summer, Grandfather's role has come to an end.
Somervakansies kan baie verskillende vorme aanneem. Van die afgelope 7de tot die 13de het ek hierdie somervakansie van een week saam met my gesin deurgebring. My oudste seun se gesin het verlede jaar na Frankryk verhuis, en hoewel my seun self nie kon kom nie, het my skoondogter en twee kleindogters na Korea gekom. Saam met my ma wat uit ons tuisdorp gekom het en my tweede seun wat in Seoel woon, het ons 'n vakansie van vier nagte en vyf dae by die Myungsung-sendinguissensrum op Jeju-eiland deurgebring voor ons teruggekeer het. Al kon die hele familie nie bymekaarkom nie, was ek innig dankbaar dat vier geslagte 'n gesinsvakansie te midde van die pragtige natuur van Jeju-eiland kon deurbring.
Vir die Sondagdiens het ons saam met die vrywilligers by die sentrum, ander vakansiegangers soos ons en plaaslike inwoners wat wou aansluit, in die kapel van die sentrum bymekaargekom om 'n beelduitsending-erediens by te woon. Eerlikwaar was ek effens skepties oor 'n uitsendingdiens, maar God het ons gebede verhoor; danksy die lewendige en toegewyde atmosfeer van die Myungsung-familie het ons 'n oggenddiens beleef wat net so geseënd soos 'n lewendige byeenkoms was. Die aanddiens het egter saamgeval met die eindstryd van die Olimpiese boogskiet, wat 'n kort oomblik van besluiteloosheid gebring het. Maar toe ek sien hoe my ma dadelik eerste opstaan vir kerk, was dit vir my 'n kosbare uitdaging. Ek is opnuut diep geraak deur die besef dat om God eerste in jou lewe te stel, beteken om die erediens bo alles te stel.
Maandagmiddag het ons een van die vele strande op Jeju-eiland besoek. Ek het my kleindogters na Gimnyeong-strand geneem, waar ek net 'n week tevore tydens die Jeju Nuwe Lewe-opleiding was. Ter voorbereiding vir die vakansie het Oupa 'n tamaai vyf-en-dertigduisend won aan 'n rubberbootjie bestee, en Ouma het snorkeltoerusting gereed gekry—presies reg vir ons twee kleindogters. Toe ek sien hoe die oudste kleindogter 'n groot duikbril oor haar gesiggie trek en deur die pypie asemhaal, heeltemal verdiep in die water sonder om die tyd agter te kom, het ek gedink: "Sy is waarlik haar oupa se kleindogter." Daarenteen was die jongste te bang om haar gesig in die water te sit; sy het die snorkel net een keer gebruik en daarna botweg geweier om uit die rubberbootjie te klim. Die middagete was natuurlik Oupa se braai—op meesterlike vlak, soos altyd!^^
Al het hulle intussen so baie gegroei, is hulle soggens steeds maar nukkerig en eers ná tienuur saans op hul heel vrolikste, wanneer hulle glad nie wil gaan slaap nie—dit het niks verander nie. Voorheen moes ons hulle maar met 'n geforseerde goeienagsoentjie aan die slaap kry. Maar ná die kort kuiertjie van vyf dae en vier nagte wou ek 'n afskeidsoentjie gee; die oudste het soos gewoonlik teruggesoen, maar die jongste het gemaak asof sy my glad nie hoor nie. As ek kyk na 'n kind wat swaarkry met afskeid neem, kan ek hul toekoms net toevertrou aan God, wat elkeen van ons so uniek geskape het. Want vir hierdie somer is Oupa se taak nou afgehandel.