얼마 전 서울에 사는 둘째네가 다녀갔습니다.7시가 넘어 KTX역에서 반갑게 만나 집으로 들어오는데 동네 길에서 앞집 선생님을 만났습니다. “비도 오는데 어딜 가세요?” “갑자기 정전이 되어서요. 알아보러 가는 겁니다. 동네가 다 정전되었네요.” 정말 동네가 다 깜깜해졌습니다. 아이들과 함께 저녁을 먹어야 하는데 우리 집에는 휴대용 가스버너도 없고, 정전이면 전기나 전자레인지도 작동할 수가 없으니 난감하기도 했습니다. 예상치 않게 갑자기 일어난 일이니 말입니다. 차를 마시려고 해도 전기주전자도 쓸 수가 없지요. 평소에 어려움 없이 전기기구를 써오다가 정말 딱한 노릇이었습니다.
어쨌거나 동네가 다 깜깜해졌으니 평소에 쓰지 않던 랜턴들을 꺼내어 큰 것은 방을 밝히고 작은 것들도 꺼내어 들고 다니도록 했습니다. 야간에 자전거를 타기 위해 갖고 있던 헤드램프도 꺼내었습니다. 놀이를 좋아하는 5살짜리 손녀가 신이 났습니다. 그동안 병원놀이 학교놀이 인형놀이 소꿉놀이는 여러 번 해보았지만 집과 동네가 다 깜깜한 곳에서 헤드램프를 이마에 두르고 이 방 저 방 다니는 놀이는 처음 해보는 것입니다.
다행히 가스 오븐은 작동해서 준비해 놓았던 라자냐를 구울 수 있었고 식탁에는 빨간 초들을 꽂고 갖가지 종류의 초들도 불을 밝혔습니다. 15개월 된 둘째 손주는 생일 축하하는 줄 알고 손뼉을 치며 노래를 부르겠다는 겁니다. 어쨌거나 전혀 생각하지 못했던 일인데 갑자기 즐거운 깜짝이벤트가 되었습니다. 식사 기도 시간에 손녀가 “우리 모두 행복한 시간을 가지게 되어서 감사합니다.”라고 기도했고 며느리도 이렇게 분위기 좋은 저녁식사를 하게 되었다면서 기뻐했습니다. 처음에는 갑자기 나간 전기 때문에 꽤 불편했고 난감하기도 했는데 오히려 즐거운 시간이 되었습니다. 나는 전혀 예상하지 못했지만 하나님께서 깜짝이벤트를 하게 하셨다는 생각이 들어 감사했습니다.
깜짝이벤트라고 하니까 몇 달 전 있었던 일도 생각이 납니다. 지인인 사모님으로부터 카톡이 왔습니다. “사모님, 3월 1일이나3일에 이쪽에서 점심식사 가능할까요?” 남편 일정을 보니1일 점심이 가능해서 그렇게 하기로 했습니다. 헌데 그냥 점심식사 한 끼 하는 일이 아니었습니다. 남편 생일이 3월 3일이니 서울 계시는 분들까지 초청해서 우리 칠순을 챙기시겠다는 겁니다. 그냥 내가 우리 집에서 하면 안 될까라고 했는데 그 사모님은 되레 “사모님도 칠순인데 본인이 직접 밥을 하면 되겠냐.”고 간단하게 한다고 했습니다. 그래서 목사님께 는 비밀로 하기로 했지요.
결국 디데이가 되어 남편과 함께 가는 중에도 운전을 하면서 아무 말도 안했지요. 사모님이 비밀이라고 하기도 했고 서프라이즈를 만들고 싶기도 했습니다. 도착해서 주차하는데 남편이 “어! 서울에서 송 목사님도 오셨네. 무슨 일이지?”라고 합니다. 그리고는 본당으로 안내되었는데 예쁘게 꾸며진 원탁들에 향초와 꽃들이 꽂혀있고 앞쪽에는 꽃바구니며 케이크까지 완벽한 세팅이 되어 있었습니다. 부엌에서는 집사님 두 분이 열심히 음식 마무리를 하고 계셨습니다. “아니, 간단하게 한다면서 이게 웬일인데요?” “히히, 사모님 제가 요리 잘하는 집사님들 믿고 일을 벌였지요.”라고 하십니다. 정말 잔칫상을 잘도 차렸습니다.
우리와 함께 칠순이신 장로님 부부는 충청도에서 오시고, 옛날에 서울에서 함께 사역했던 목사님 두 가정이 오셨습니다. 뜻밖에 진주에서도 장로님 세 분이 오셨습니다. 예전에 저희가 서울에서 목회하던 때에 청년들이었는데 이제는 모두 다 장로님들이 되셨습니다. 오랜만에 만나 주 안에서 복음을 위해 함께 고민하고 섬겼던 옛날 얘기도 하고, 지금도 각자가 있는 곳에서 교회를 잘 섬기고 계시는 분들을 보며, 참 감사하고 즐거운 시간을 보냈습니다. 남편은 저더러 “아니 그래 다 알고 있으면서 암말도 않고 배신이다.”라고 해서 나도 “비밀로 하라고 해서, 하고 싶은 말을 참느라고 나도 힘들었거든요.”라고 답했지요.^^ 그것 또한 하나님이 남편을 위해서 허락하신, 제게는 기분 좋은 깜짝이벤트였습니다.
A while ago, our second son's family came down from Seoul for a visit. Welcoming them at the KTX station past seven in the evening, we were heading home along our neighborhood road when we ran into the teacher who lives across from us. “Where are you heading in this rain?” “The power suddenly went out. I'm going to find out what happened; the entire neighborhood has lost power.” Indeed, the whole neighborhood had plunged into pitch darkness. We needed to have dinner with the children, but we didn't have a portable gas burner at home, and with a blackout, neither electricity nor the microwave could be used, which put us in a bit of a bind. It was entirely unexpected, after all. Even if we wanted to brew some tea, the electric kettle was unusable. Having always used electric appliances without a second thought, it was quite a helpless situation.
In any case, since the whole neighborhood was dark, we brought out lanterns that were usually tucked away in storage. We used the large one to brighten the room and distributed the small ones for walking around. I also brought out the headlamp kept for night cycling. Our five-year-old granddaughter, who loves pretend play, was thrilled. She had played doctor, school, dolls, and house many times before, but strapping a headlamp to her forehead and roaming from room to room in a home and neighborhood shrouded in complete darkness was a brand-new adventure.
Fortunately, the gas oven worked, allowing us to bake the lasagna we had prepared. We set red candles on the dining table and lit candles of various shapes and kinds. Our fifteen-month-old grandson, thinking it was a birthday celebration, began clapping his little hands, eager to sing along. What had begun as an unforeseen predicament turned unexpectedly into a delightful surprise event. During the mealtime prayer, our granddaughter prayed, “Thank You for giving us all such a happy time,” and our daughter-in-law was also overjoyed to share such an atmospheric dinner. At first, the sudden power outage caused quite a bit of inconvenience and embarrassment, but it turned into such an enjoyable time instead. Though I had not anticipated it at all, my heart swelled with gratitude, feeling that God had orchestrated a wonderful surprise event for us.
Speaking of surprise events reminds me of something that happened a few months ago. I received a KakaoTalk message from a pastor's wife I know. “Could you and your husband join us for lunch over here on March 1st or 3rd?” Checking my husband's schedule, March 1st was open for lunch, so we agreed to that date. However, it turned out not to be just a simple lunch. Since my husband's birthday was on March 3rd, she was planning to celebrate our seventieth birthdays (Chilsun) by inviting guests all the way from Seoul. I asked if it might not be better to just host it at our house, but she replied, “You are turning seventy yourself, how could you be made to cook?” and promised to keep it simple. So we agreed to keep it a complete secret from Rev. Keun-Doo Jung.
When the day arrived, I kept completely silent while driving there with my husband. The pastor's wife had asked me to keep it confidential, and I also wanted to create a genuine surprise. As we arrived and parked, my husband remarked, “Oh! Pastor Song came all the way from Seoul. What brings him here?” We were then guided into the main sanctuary, where beautifully decorated round tables were adorned with scented candles and flowers, and up front stood flower baskets and a cake—a picture-perfect setting. In the kitchen, two deaconesses were hard at work adding the finishing touches to the feast. “Goodness, you said we were keeping it simple—what in the world is all this?” “Hehe, I stepped out in faith relying on our deaconesses who are such wonderful cooks!” she smiled. Indeed, they had prepared a magnificent banquet table.
An elder and his wife who also shared their 70th milestone came all the way from Chungcheong-do, and two pastoral families who had served with us in Seoul in the early years joined us. Unexpectedly, three elders traveled all the way from Jinju as well. Long ago, when we ministered in Seoul, they were young adults in our church, and now all of them had become elders. Reunited after such a long time, we spent a deeply grateful and joyful time together, reminiscing about the old days when we wrestled and served together for the gospel in the Lord, and seeing how faithfully they are serving their local churches today. My husband teased me, saying, “You knew everything all along and didn't utter a single word—what betrayal!” to which I replied with a smile, “I was sworn to secrecy; holding back what I wanted to say was no easy task for me either!” It was truly a delightful surprise event that God had graciously granted for my husband, and for me as well.
Nie lank gelede nie het ons tweede seun se gesin van Seoel kom kuier. Nadat ons hulle ná seweuur die aand met groot vreugde by die KTX-stasie ontmoet het, was ons op pad huis toe toe ons die onderwyser van oorkant die straat teëgekom het. “Waarheen gaan u in hierdie reën?” “Die krag het skielik afgegaan. Ek gaan kyk wat aangaan; die hele woonbuurt is sonder krag.” Waarlik, die hele buurt was in stikdonker gehul. Ons moes saam met die kinders aandete geniet, maar ons het nie 'n draagbare gasbrander by die huis gehad nie, en met die kragonderbreking kon nóg elektrisiteit nóg die mikrogolfoond werk nie, wat ons in 'n verknorsing gelaat het. Dit was immers heeltemal onverwags. Selfs al wou ons tee maak, kon ons nie die elektriese ketel gebruik nie. Omdat 'n mens altyd gewoond is daaraan om elektriese toestelle sonder moeite te gebruik, was dit werklik 'n beproewing.
Hoe dit ook al sy, aangesien die hele omgewing donker was, het ons lanterns wat ons gewoonlik nie gebruik nie, te voorskyn gebring; met 'n grote het ons die vertrek verlig en die kleintjies het ons uitgedeel om mee rond te loop. Ek het ook die koplamp wat vir nagtelike fietsritte gehou word, uitgehaal. Ons vyfjarige kleindogter, wat versot is op speletjies, was in haar noppies. Sy het al baie kere hospitaal-hospitaal, skool-skool, met poppe en pophuis gespeel, maar om met 'n koplamp om haar voorkop van kamer tot kamer rond te dwaal in 'n huis en woonbuurt wat in algehele duisternis gedompel is, was 'n splinternuwe ervaring.
Gelukkig het die gasoond gewerk, sodat ons die lasagne wat vooraf voorberei is, kon bak. Ons het rooi kerse op die etenstafel staangemaak en verskeie soorte kerse aangesteek. Ons vyftien maande oue kleinseun het gedink dit is 'n verjaarsdagviering en het handjies geklap, gereed om saam te sing. Dit was iets waaraan niemand vooraf gedink het nie, maar dit het eensklaps 'n heerlike verrassingsgeleentheid geword. Tydens die tafelgebed het ons kleindogter gebid: “Dankie dat ons almal so 'n gelukkige tyd saam kan hê,” en ons skoondogter was ook baie bly om so 'n gesellige, sfeervolle aandete te geniet. Aanvanklik was die skielike kragonderbreking taamlik ongerieflik en ongemaklik, maar dit het uiteindelik in 'n wonderlike tyd ontaard. Alhoewel ek dit glad nie verwag het nie, het my hart oorgeloop van dankbaarheid teenoor God wat hierdie pragtige verrassing vir ons beskik het.
Noudat ek aan verrassings dink, onthou ek ook iets wat 'n paar maande gelede gebeur het. Ek het 'n KakaoTalk-boodskap van 'n predikantsvrou ontvang wat 'n goeie vriendin is: “Mevrou, sou dit moontlik wees dat u en u man op 1 of 3 Maart hier by ons kom middagete eet?” Toe ek na my man se rooster kyk, was middagete op 1 Maart oop, en ons het so ooreengekom. Dit was egter glad nie net 'n gewone middagete nie. Aangesien my man se verjaarsdag op 3 Maart val, was haar plan om selfs gaste uit Seoel te nooi om ons sewentigste verjaarsdae (Chilsun) behoorlik te vier. Ek het voorgestel of ons dit nie liewer by ons huis kon hou nie, maar sy het geantwoord: “Mevrou vier self haar sewentigste verjaarsdag; hoe kan u nou self kosmaak?” en belowe om dinge eenvoudig te hou. Ons het dus ooreengekom om dit 'n geheim te hou vir ds. Keun-Doo Jung.
Toe die groot dag uiteindelik aanbreek, het ek tydens die motorrit saam met my man geen woord gerep nie. Die predikantsvrou het gevra om dit geheim te hou, en ek wou ook baie graag die verrassing bewaar. Toe ons daar aankom en parkeer, sê my man verbaas: “Haai! Ds. Song het dan die hele pad van Seoel af gekom. Wat gaan aan?” Ons is toe na die hoofkerksaal begelei, waar pragtig versierde ronde tafels met geurkerse en blomme getooi was, en voorin het blommemandjies en 'n koek gestaan—'n volmaakte feesopset. In die kombuis was twee diakonesse besig om ywerig die laaste afronding aan die feesmaal te gee. “Goeiste, u het gesê ons sou dit eenvoudig hou, wat gaan hier aan?” “Haha, mevrou, ek het op ons diakonesse wat sulke wonderlike kokke is, vertrou en net die inisiatief geneem!” het sy geantwoord. Waarlik, hulle het 'n koninklike feesmaal berei.
'n Ouderling-egpaar uit Chungcheong-do, wat saam met ons hulle sewentigste lewensjaar gevier het, was daar, asook twee predikantsgesinne wat jare gelede saam met ons in Seoel gearbei het. Heeltemal onverwags het drie ouderlinge selfs die hele pad van Jinju af gekom. Jare gelede, toe ons in Seoel bedien het, was hulle jongmense in die gemeente, maar vandag dien hulle almal as getroue ouderlinge. Om mekaar ná so 'n lang tyd weer te ontmoet, herinneringe op te haal aan die ou dae toe ons saam in die Here geworstel en vir die evangelie gedien het, en te sien hoe hulle vandag nog getrou die kerk dien waar hulle ook al is, was 'n oomblik van diepe dankbaarheid en vreugde. My man het my skertsend verwyt: “Het jy dit dan die hele tyd geweet en niks gesê nie—dit is verraad!” waarop ek glimlaggend geantwoord het: “Hulle het gesê dit is 'n geheim, en om stil te bly oor wat ek wou sê, was vir my ook nie maklik nie!” Dit was waarlik nog 'n wonderlike verrassingsgeleentheid wat God uit genade vir my man, en ook vir my, geskenk het.