얼마 전에는 고향 손님이 다녀가셨습니다.지금은 울산에 살고 계시는데 워낙에는 남편의 고향 마을에 함께 사셨던 분입니다. 마침 이웃 교회의 장로님 권사님 부부이기도 하셔서 반가운 마음에 집으로 모셨습니다. 남편보다는 한 10 년쯤 젊은 분들이라 오히려 그분들의 형님이나 언니와는 고향 교회에서 서로 잘 아는 사이였던 것 같습니다. 그 때 양가 부모님들은 아직 믿지 않으셨는데 이제는 다 주님 앞으로 돌아오셨다고 합니다. 얼마나 반가운 소식인지 모릅니다. 그 날 저녁에는 시간 가는 줄 모르고 고향 얘기, 옛날 얘기, 또 고향 분들의 소식들을 나누었습니다.
권사님께서 옛날 얘기를 하다 말고 “우리 언니가 옛날에 목사님 짝사랑한 사실을 모르셨습니까?”라고 물으시는 바람에 함께 웃으며 그 얘기를 나누기도 했습니다. 수년 전에 대구에 집회를 갈 일이 있었는데 그 언니 분을 만났던 적이 있습니다. 그러고 보니 언젠가부터 남편이 나이가 들어가면서 옛날 사람들이 궁금하다고, 보고 싶다고 하면서 수소문을 해서 몇 분을 만났습니다. 물론 바쁘다 보니 일부러 시간 내기는 어렵지만 어느 곳에 볼일이 있어 가게 되는 경우에 그 곳에 있는 분을 찾아서 만난다든지 심지어는 영국에 갈 때도 예전에 알았던 분을 찾아서 만나기도 했습니다. 물론 다시 만나도 반갑고 아름다운 관계라는 것에 감사하지요.
그러면서 권사님께서는 어렸을 때 교회에서 뵈었던 우리 어머님 얘기를 몇 번이나 하셨습니다. “어릴 적에 교회에 가면 언제나 할머니가 계셨습니다. 새벽이나 밤에는 이불인지 털외투 비슷한 것을 둘러쓰시고 기도하시던 모습이 참 인상적이었습니다. 늘 그 모습이 마음에 지금까지 남아있어서 나도 그렇게 기도하는 사람이 되고 싶었습니다. 그렇게 열심히 기도하시더니 아드님이 이렇게 훌륭한 목사님이 되셨네요. 살아계실 때 못 찾아뵈어서 참 죄송합니다.” 재작년 9월에 천국 가신 우리 어머님에 대한 말씀을 하시는 것입니다. 물론 늘 기도하시던 어머님에 대해서 모르는 것이 아니었지만 기도하시던 어머님의 모습이 그렇게 깊은 인상을 남겨서 기도하는 사람이 되고 싶다는 권사님의 말씀을 들으니 새삼 감동이었습니다.
특별히 가르치려고 하지 않아도, 모델이 되겠다고 마음먹을 필요 없이 누군가의 삶의 모습 그대로가 다른 사람에게 본받고 싶은 모델이 될 수 있다는 것이 얼마나 자연스럽고 아름다운가 말입니다. 그 권사님 말씀대로 어머님은 그렇게 평생을 기도하며 사셨습니다. 처음 복음을 접하고 은혜를 받은 후에는 씨족 사회에서 온 문중 사람들의 핍박에도 아랑곳하지 않고 믿음을 지키셨으며 복음을 위해서는 어떠한 수고도 마다하지 않으셨습니다.
자식들 앞에서 눈물을 보이는 법이 없으셨지만 어머님이 기도하시던 자리는 늘 눈물로 얼룩져 있었다고 남편은 얘기를 하곤 합니다. 교회와 영혼들을 위해서 날마다 엎드려 기도하셨으며 한 사람이 주님 앞으로 돌아오는 일을 무엇보다 기뻐하셨던 어머님이시지요. 이곳 두산리로 오신 후로는 하루도 빠짐없이 이 마을 사람들이 하나님을 알 수 있도록 기도하셨습니다.
한두 해 전부터 저희 앞집 부부께서 교회를 나가시는 것을 보면서, 물론 그분 친구 분의 전도도 있었지만 하나님께서 저희 어머님의 기도를 들으셨다는 생각이 들었지요. 어머님의 기도처럼 이 마을 분들이 모두 하나님을 알 수 있으면 참 좋겠습니다. 아! 그러려면 저도 어머님처럼 마을 분들을 위해 매일 열심히 기도해야겠습니다. 정말 그 권사님의 말씀처럼 저도 어머님처럼 그렇게 기도하는 사람이 되고 싶습니다. 그래야 어머님의 며느리다울 것 같습니다. 며칠 전에는 이웃의 집사님이 우리 어머님 생전에 찬송에 맞춰 춤추시던 모습을 찍은 동영상을 보여주셔서 함께 웃었습니다. 어머님 보내드린 지가 2년이 넘었는데 날이 갈수록 더 보고 싶습니다. 기도의 어머님을 허락하신 하나님께 감사드립니다.
Not long ago, guests from my husband's hometown came to visit us. Though they now reside in Ulsan, they originally lived in the same village as my husband. As it turned out, they are an elder and a senior deaconess serving at a neighboring church, so we warmly welcomed them into our home with great delight. Since they are about ten years younger than my husband, they were closer in age to his older siblings, knowing each other well back at their hometown church. At that time, both sets of parents had not yet come to faith, but we were overjoyed to hear that they have now all returned to the Lord. What wonderful news it was! That evening, we lost track of time as we shared stories of our hometown, old memories, and news of the folks back home.
In the middle of reminiscing, the deaconess suddenly asked with a smile, "Didn't you know that my older sister used to have a secret crush on the pastor?" We all shared a hearty laugh over that sweet memory. A few years ago, when we traveled to Daegu for a gathering, we actually had the chance to meet that sister. Looking back, as my husband has grown older, he often wonders about old acquaintances, longing to see them, and has made efforts to track down and reunite with several old friends. Of course, being busy makes it difficult to carve out dedicated time, but whenever he travels somewhere on business, he tries to visit people living there; he even reached out to meet old acquaintances when visiting the United Kingdom. It is truly a grace and a joy that such reunions remain so warm and beautiful.
During our visit, the deaconess spoke repeatedly about my mother-in-law, whom she remembered seeing at church when she was a young girl. "Whenever I went to church as a child, grandmother was always there. In the early dawn and late at night, she would wrap herself in a blanket or a thick winter coat and pray—that sight left an indelible impression on me. That image has remained in my heart to this day, inspiring me to become a person of prayer just like her. She prayed so fervently, and now her son has become such a wonderful pastor. I feel so sorry that I could not visit her while she was still with us." She was speaking of my mother-in-law, who went to be with the Lord in September the year before last. Although I already knew well of Mother's prayerful life, hearing how deeply her devotion had moved someone to desire a life of prayer touched me anew.
How natural and beautiful it is that, without deliberately setting out to teach or intending to become a role model, simply living out one's life as it is can become a model worthy of emulation for others. Just as the deaconess said, Mother lived a life defined by prayer. After first encountering the Gospel and receiving God's grace, she held firmly to her faith despite the severe persecution from her clan within that close-knit kinship society, never hesitating to pour out any effort or sacrifice for the sake of the Gospel.
My husband often recalls that while Mother never shed tears in front of her children, the place where she knelt in prayer was always stained with her tears. Every single day, she bowed in prayer for the church and for souls, delighting more than anything else in seeing someone return to the Lord. After moving here to Dusan-ri, she never missed a single day praying that the villagers here might come to know God.
Seeing our neighbors across the road begin attending church a year or two ago—though prompted by a friend’s evangelism—I could not help but feel that God was answering Mother's faithful prayers. Just as she prayed, how wonderful it would be if all the people in this village came to know God. Ah, to see that fulfilled, I too must pray earnestly every day for our neighbors, just as Mother did. Like the deaconess said, I truly wish to become a person of prayer just like Mother. Only then would I feel worthy of being her daughter-in-law. A few days ago, a neighbor deacon showed us a video clip of Mother dancing joyfully to a hymn during her lifetime, and we shared a tender laugh together. It has been over two years since we sent Mother home to heaven, yet with each passing day, I miss her all the more. I give heartfelt thanks to God for blessing our lives with such a mother of prayer.
Onlangs het kuiergaste uit my man se tuisdorp by ons kom besoek aflê. Hulle woon tans in Ulsan, maar het oorspronklik in dieselfde dorpie as my man gewoon. Aangesien hulle boonop ’n ouderling en senior diakones van ’n buurgemeente is, het ons hulle met groot vreugde en gasvryheid in ons huis ontvang. Omdat hulle sowat tien jaar jonger as my man is, het hulle sy ouer broer en suster destyds in die tuisdorp se gemeente beter geken. In daardie jare het albei ouerpare nog nie geglo nie, maar ons was verheug om te hoor dat almal intussen na die Here teruggekeer het. Wat ’n wonderlike nuus was dit tog nie! Daardie aand het ons heeltemal van tyd vergeet terwyl ons gesels het oor ons tuisdorp, ou dae en die nuus van vriende en bekendes van weleer.
Tussen al die ou herinneringe deur het die diakones skielik met ’n glimlag gevra: “Het u dan nie geweet dat my ouer suster destyds heimlik verlief was op die dominee nie?” Ons het almal heerlik saam daaroor gelag. ’n Paar jaar gelede, toe ons vir ’n byeenkoms na Daegu moes reis, het ons toevallig daardie suster ontmoet. Noudat ek daaraan dink, soos my man ouer geword het, wonder hy al hoe meer oor mense van vroeër; hy verlang na hulle en het al navraag gedoen om verskeie ou bekendes op te soek. Weens die gejaag van die lewe is dit natuurlik moeilik om spesifiek tyd in te ruim, maar wanneer hy vir sake êrens heen moet reis, probeer hy altyd mense opsoek wat daar woon—hy het selfs tydens ’n reis na die Verenigde Koninkryk ou vriende opgespoor en ontmoet. Dit is inderdaad ’n genade en ’n voorreg dat sulke weersiens altyd so warm en kosbaar bly.
Die diakones het ook by herhaling vertel van ons moeder wat sy as kind in die kerk gesien het. “Wanneer ek as kind kerk toe gegaan het, was ouma altyd daar. Vroegoggend in die dou of laatnag het sy haarself in ’n kombers of dik jas toegedraai en gebid—daardie beeld het my altyd diep bygebly. Daardie herinnering leef tot vandag toe in my hart voort, en dit het my laat begeer om ook so ’n mens van gebed te word. Sy het so vurig gebid, en kyk hoe ’n voortreflike leraar het haar seun geword! Ek is werklik jammer dat ek haar nie kon besoek terwyl sy nog geleef het nie.” Sy het gepraat van my skoonmoeder, wat voorverlede jaar in September hemel toe gegaan het. Alhoewel ek maar te goed bewus was van Moeder se lewe van aanhoudende gebed, het dit my opnuut diep geraak om te hoor watter onuitwisbare indruk haar gebedslewe op ander gemaak het, sodat hulle ook biddende mense wou word.
Sonder om bewustelik lesse te wil leer of doelbewus te besluit om ’n rolmodel te wees, is dit tog wonderlik en natuurlik hoe iemand se blote lewenswandel ’n voorbeeld kan word wat ander wil navolg. Net soos die diakones gesê het, het Moeder haar hele lewe biddend deurbring. Nadat sy die Evangelie vir die eerste keer ontdek en genade ontvang het, het sy standvastig in haar geloof gebly ten spyte van die felle vervolging deur haar stamgenote in daardie hegte tradisionele familieverband, en sy het geen opoffering ontsien ter wille van die Evangelie nie.
My man vertel dikwels dat Moeder nooit voor haar kinders trane gewys het nie, maar dat die plek waar sy gekniel en gebid het, altyd met trane bevlek was. Sy het elke liewe dag neergekniel om vir die gemeente en vir kosbare siele te pleit, en niks het haar groter vreugde verskaf as wanneer ’n mens na die Here teruggekeer het nie. Vandat sy hierheen na Dusan-ri verhuis het, het sy nie ’n enkele dag laat verbygaan sonder om te bid dat die mense van hierdie dorpie God sou leer ken nie.
Toe ons bure oorkant die straat ’n jaar of twee gelede die kerk begin bywoon het—hoewel dit danksy die getuienis van ’n vriend was—het ek dadelik besef dat die Here Moeder se gebede verhoor het. Net soos Moeder gebid het, sou dit wonderlik wees as al die inwoners van hierdie dorpie die Here kon leer ken. Ag, om dit te sien gebeur, moet ek sekerlik soos Moeder elke dag ywerig vir ons dorpsmense bid. Soos die diakones gesê het, wens ek werklik om soos Moeder ’n mens van gebed te wees. Eers dan sal ek waarlik soos haar skoondogter lewe. ’n Paar dae gelede het ’n diaken uit die omgewing vir ons ’n video gewys waarin ons moeder in haar leeftyd vreugdevol op die maat van ’n lofsang gedans het, en ons het hartlik saam gelag. Dit is nou al meer as twee jaar sedert ons Moeder aan die Here afgestaan het, maar met elke dag wat verbygaan, mis ek haar net al hoe meer. Ek dank God van harte vir die gawe van ’n moeder van gebed.