며칠째 비가 계속 내리고 있습니다. 때론 쨍하고 구름사이로 햇빛이 비취기도 하지만 계속 장마처럼 비가 이어지고 있습니다. 때론 장대비가 쏟아지기도 하고 때로는 소리도 없이 보슬비가 내리기도 합니다. 지금도 바깥 탁자위에 얹은 유리가 아니면 비가 오는 것 같지 않습니다만 자세히 보면 비가 내리고 있습니다. 그래서 창밖으로 보이는 잔디가 얼마나 창조주 하나님께 감사해 하는지 싱그러운 푸른색으로 화답하고 있습니다. 어디 잔디뿐이겠습니까? 모든 초목들이 계속 뿌리는 빗방울로 인해서 갓 샤워를 하고 나온 것처럼 싱싱해 보입니다.
어제 밤에는 평소에 활짝 열어놓고 자던 머리맡 창문을 살짝 닫고 커튼도 내리고, 잠결에 여름 이불을 찾아 덮었습니다. 태양초를 말린다고 하다가 비가 내리니 방 하나에 고추를 널어놓아서 보일러를 틀었습니다. 그래서 뽀송뽀송하고 따뜻한 침실 바닥이 참으로 반갑게 느껴집니다. 창밖에 들리던 개구리의 왕성한 합창은 조금씩 잦아들고 그 빈자리를 귀뚜라미를 비롯한 풀벌레들의 가을노래가 차지하고 있습니다. 곧 국화와 코스모스가 두산리 사택을 장식하게 되겠지요.^^
지금 뜰에는 분꽃, 채송화, 봉선화, 나팔꽃, 천일홍 맨드라미, 꽃 범의 꼬리, 노란꽃 코스모스와 쑥뿌쟁이, 아스타, 설악초, 어린 배롱나무의 진분홍 꽃이 한창이고 (물론 호박꽃, 수세미꽃, 박하꽃, 달개비도 많이 피었지만 목록에 추가해야 할지…) 게다가 접시꽃, 만수국, 원추리, 능소화, 사피니아의 마지막 모습을 아직도 볼 수 있습니다. 그런가 하면 작년에 예쁘게 피었던 꽃들 가운데 올해는 자취를 감춘 것도 있습니다. 그러다 보면 이름도 잊게 마련입니다. 작년에 조그만 연못을 가득 채웠던 부레옥잠은 올해는 그 왕성한 성장력이 무서워 아예 넣지를 않았더니 노란어리연이 연못을 완전 장악했습니다.
생명력은 공간을 결코 비워두지 않습니다. 화단이든 연못이든 빈 공간으로 남겨두지 않습니다. 이제 오늘은 8월 마지막 주일입니다. 구역모임, 제자훈련, 성경대학은 이번 주간에 시작하고 다음주간에는 상담학교가 개강하며 그 다음 주간에는 경로대학, 아기학교가 줄줄이 시작합니다. 가을이란 시간의 공간에 채워가야 할 것은 무엇일까요? 좋은 것으로 채우지 않으면 잡초가 그 자리를 점령할 것입니다. 우리의 마음 밭에 도 가을이면 피어나는 기쁨의 꽃들과 감사의 열매가 주렁주렁하기 위해서 오늘 시간의 정원을 다듬어야 합니다. 우비를 입고 장화를 신고 비가 내리는 뜰을 손질하듯이.^^
It has been raining continuously for several days. Though the sun occasionally breaks brightly through the clouds, the rain lingers on like a summer monsoon. At times it pours in torrents, and at other times it falls quietly as a soft drizzle. Even right now, were it not for the glass top on the outdoor table, one might hardly notice it raining, but looking closely, the rain continues to fall. Looking through the window, the lawn seems so deeply grateful to God the Creator, answering with a vibrant, refreshing green. And is it only the lawn? Thanks to the raindrops that keep falling, all the trees and vegetation look wonderfully fresh, as though they have just stepped out from a shower.
Last night, I slightly closed the bedside window that I usually leave wide open, drew the curtains, and half-asleep, reached out to pull up a summer quilt. Because we were drying sun-dried red peppers and it began to rain, we spread the peppers out in one of the rooms and turned on the floor heating. Thus, the dry, warm bedroom floor felt truly welcoming. The frogs' energetic chorus outside the window is gradually subsiding, and in its place, the autumn songs of grass insects, including crickets, are taking over. Soon, chrysanthemums and cosmos will adorn the Dusan-ri parsonage. ^^
Right now in the garden, four-o'clocks, rose moss, garden balsams, morning glories, globe amaranths, cockscombs, obedient plants, yellow cosmos, kalimeris, asters, snow-on-the-mountain, and the deep pink blossoms of a young crape myrtle are in full bloom (of course, pumpkin blossoms, luffa flowers, mint blossoms, and dayflowers are also blooming in abundance, though I wonder if they belong on this floral list...). Furthermore, one can still catch the final glimpses of hollyhocks, French marigolds, daylilies, trumpet creepers, and surfinias. On the other hand, among the flowers that bloomed so beautifully last year, some have left no trace this year. Over time, their names naturally slip from memory as well. Fearing its voracious vigor, I did not put water hyacinth into the little pond this year—the very plant that filled it so densely last year—and now yellow floating hearts have completely taken over the pond.
Life never leaves a space empty. Whether it is a flowerbed or a pond, life never leaves it as a void. Today is the final Sunday of August. Small group parish gatherings, discipleship training, and the Bible college all commence this week; the counseling school begins next week; and the week after that, senior college and baby school will open one after another. What should we fill into this space of time called autumn? If we do not fill it with good things, weeds will surely seize that space. So that the flowers of joy and the abundant fruits of thanksgiving blooming in autumn may fill the garden of our hearts, we must tend the garden of our time today—just as one puts on a raincoat and boots to tend the rain-swept garden. ^^
Dit reën nou al dae lank aanhoudend. Al breek die son soms helder deur die wolke, duur die reën voort soos 'n reënseisoen. Soms giet dit neer in strome, en ander kere val dit geruisloos soos 'n fyn motreën. Selfs nou sou 'n mens skaars dink dit reën as dit nie vir die glas op die buitetafel was nie, maar as jy fyn kyk, sien jy die reën val. As 'n mens by die venster uitkyk, lyk dit asof die gras die Skeppergod met soveel dankbaarheid beantwoord deur sy vars, helder groen kleur. En is dit net die gras? Danksy die aanhoudende reëndruppels lyk al die plante en bome so vars asof hulle pas uit die stort gestap het.
Gisteraand het ek die venster langs my bed—wat ek gewoonlik wawyd oophou—effens toegemaak, die gordyne toegetrek en halfslaap 'n somerkombers oor my getrek. Omdat ons rooipepers in die son probeer droogmaak het en dit begin reën het, het ons die pepers in een van die kamers uitgesprei en die vloerverwarming aangeskakel. Die droë, knus en warm slaapkamervloer het werklik baie welkom gevoel. Die paddas se lewendige koorsang buite die venster bedaar geleidelik, en in die leë ruimte neem die herfsliedere van krekels en ander veldinsekte oor. Binnekort sal krisante en kosmosse die Dusan-ri-pastorie versier. ^^
Op die oomblik is die tuin vol vieruurtjies, portulakke, balsemiene, pronkwinde, bolamaranthe, haankamme, jakobregop-blomme, geel kosmosse, wilde asters, sneeu-op-die-berg en die dieproos blomme van 'n jong mirtboom (natuurlik blom pampoenblomme, sponskomkommerblomme, kruisementblomme en wandelende jode ook volop, al weet ek nie of hulle op hierdie lys hoort nie...). Bowendien kan 'n mens steeds die laaste glimpe sien van stokrose, afrikaners, daglelies, trompetklimmers en surfinias. Aan die ander kant het sommige van die blomme wat verlede jaar so pragtig geblom het, vanjaar heeltemal verdwyn. Soos die tyd aanstap, vergeet 'n mens selfs hul name. Bang vir die oorweldigende groeikrag daarvan, het ek vanjaar glad nie die waterhiasint in die dammetjie gesit wat dit verlede jaar heeltemal gevul het nie, en nou het die geel waterlelieagtige waterplantjies die dammetjie heeltemal oorgeneem.
Lewenskrag laat nooit 'n ruimte leeg nie. Hetsy 'n blombedding of 'n dammetjie, die lewe los niks as 'n leemte agter nie. Vandag is die laaste Sondag van Augustus. Wyksbyeenkomste, dissipelskapopleiding en die Bybelskool begin hierdie week; volgende week open die beradingskool; en die week daarna begin die seniorskool en babaskool een na die ander. Waarmee behoort ons die ruimte van tyd wat herfs genoem word, te vul? As ons dit nie met goeie dinge vul nie, sal onkruid daardie plek oorneem. Sodat ons harte gevul kan wees met die vreugdeblomme en oorvloedige vrugte van dankbaarheid wat in die herfs ontluik, moet ons vandag die tuin van ons tyd versorg—net soos iemand wat 'n reënjas en stewels aantrek om die reëndeurweekte tuin op te pas. ^^