지난 토요일 오후 1시 반경이었습니다. 강원도 영월에 은퇴해서 살고 있는 선교사님으로부터 오랜만에 연락이 왔습니다. 주일날 울산의 어느 교회 설교요청을 받아 내려오고 있다면서, 부담을 줄 것 같아서 미리 연락을 하지 못했다고, 차 한 잔 줄 수 있는지를 묻는 톡이었습니다.
사실 그날 오후는 두세 시에 세종에 살고 있는 울산교회 출신 목사님 한 분이 차를 마시러 오기로 되어 있었고, 언양에 살고 있는 은퇴한 친구 목사님이 고향 통영에서 싱싱한 갈치와 굴을 가지고 왔으니 식사를 하자고 연락이 와서 이미 오케이 사인을 보낸 후였습니다.
어떻게 하면 좋을까 생각하면서 그동안 배운 지혜를 활용하기로 했습니다. 서울에서 두 교회를 개척하고, 울산으로 내려와 울산교회 사역을 시작했을 때, 울산교회는 서울의 두레, 탄포리 교회와는 성도의 수효가 다르니까 일이 엄청 많았습니다. 정신을 차리지 못하면 열차 다이어그램처럼 일들이 서로 충돌할 것 같았습니다.
부임 1년 후에 만난 친구들이 하나같이 왜 그렇게 늙었냐고 질문을 했습니다. 그러니 성탄절이 되어서 성탄카드를 보내는 것은 꿈도 꾸지 못했습니다. 하지만 바쁘다고 성탄카드를 받는 것마저 거절할 수는 없었습니다. 그러나 카드를 받으면서 기쁘고 감사해야 하는데, 일에 시달리다 보니 “너희들은 팔자도 좋다. 성탄카드도 다 보내고~” 오히려 화가 났습니다. 말도 안 되는 부끄러운 반응이었습니다.
당시 매 주일 설교를 준비해야만 하는 현역으로서는 주말이 여유로울 때가 별로 없었습니다. 하지만 그것은 내 입장이고, 성도들의 하소연을 들어야 하는 긴 전화도 오고, 예정에 없는 손님이 찾아오기도 합니다. 그런데 어느 날 내 일정에는 없는 분이지만 주인께서 보내신 분이고, 주인께서 허락하신 전화라는 생각이 들자 달리 반응할 수 있었습니다. 내가 세워둔 일정에는 없었지만 주님이 보낸 분이니 뒤처리도 주님이 하시리라는 여유가 생겼습니다.
메뚜기가 먹어치운 이삭도 주님은 회복시킬 수 있기 때문입니다. 그런 깨달음 때문인지 지난 토요일 오후 상황에도 당황하지 않았습니다. 그래서 시간을 조정해 보기로 했습니다. “목사님^^ 6시에 만나면 안 될까요? 강원도 영월에서 갑자기 오는 분이 있어서요” 그랬더니 바로 전화가 와서 두 사람이 더 와도 저녁식사가 가능하다고 했습니다.
“저녁식사는 어떻게 하기로 했습니까? 우릴 초대한 목사님이 두 분 더 모실 수 있답니다.” 그리하여 본래 약속한 5시 즈음에 언양으로 함께 갔습니다. 굴회를 비롯해서 싱싱한 생선으로 맛있는 저녁상이 준비되었고, 영월에서 내려오신 선교사님은 굴회를 보고 얼마나 기뻐하는지, 그리고 나도 옛날 뷔페에서 굴회를 먹고 배탈이 나서, 그 뒤 3년 만에 먹어도, 5년 만에도, 10년 만에도 꼭 같은 현상이 일어나서 굴회 먹는 것을 포기하고 살았는데, 그날 저녁에는 모험하기로 시도했고 마침내 성공했습니다.
남해 섬 출신이 굴회를 먹지 못한다는 것은, 고향 사람 명단에서 삭제당할만한 수치였는데, 마침내 극복했습니다. 초대한 주인장과 선교사님 부부의 대화는 덤으로 얻은 선물입니다. 처음에는 스케줄 조정이 난감해 보였는데 우리 시간의 주인께서 개입하심으로 최상의 일정으로 바꾸어주셨습니다. 게다가 그 대화 끝에 우린 2027년에는 언양 조 목사님의 가이드로 이스라엘 여행을 꿈꾸게 되었습니다. 물론 미래는 시간의 주인되신 하나님께 전적으로 달려있습니다.
It was around 1:30 PM last Saturday. Out of the blue, I received a message from a retired missionary residing in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province. He explained that he was on his way down to Ulsan after being invited to preach at a local church on Sunday. Hesitant to burden me, he hadn't reached out beforehand, but now he was texting to ask if we might have time to share a cup of tea.
In truth, that afternoon was already fully spoken for. Around two or three o'clock, a pastor hailing from Ulsan Church who now lives in Sejong was scheduled to drop by for tea. On top of that, a retired pastor friend living in Eonyang had just contacted me saying he had brought fresh hairtail fish and oysters from his hometown of Tongyeong and invited me for dinner—an invitation to which I had already given my enthusiastic "yes."
Wondering how best to handle the overlapping schedule, I decided to draw upon wisdom gained over the years. When I left Seoul after planting two churches and arrived in Ulsan to begin my ministry at Ulsan Church, the sheer size of the congregation was vastly different from Dure Church or Tanpori Church. The workload was overwhelming. If I did not stay completely vigilant, my tasks felt as though they would collide like trains on a congested schedule.
One year after taking up the post, every friend I met asked the exact same question: why had I aged so drastically? Under such strain, sending out Christmas cards was beyond imagination. Yet, as busy as I was, I could hardly reject the cards sent to me. But instead of feeling joyful and grateful upon receiving them, I was so overwhelmed by work that I found myself grumbling with resentment: "You people must have it so easy, having time to send Christmas cards!" It was an absurd, utterly shameful reaction.
Back then, as an active pastor who had to prepare fresh sermons every Sunday, quiet and restful weekends were a rare luxury. Yet that was merely my human perspective; long phone calls listening to members' grievances were unavoidable, and unannounced visitors would arrive without notice. But one day, a transformative realization dawned on me: though a person might not be in my planned schedule, they were sent by the Master; though unexpected, this phone call was permitted by the Master. With that mindset, my response changed entirely. Even if someone fell outside my carefully arranged agenda, knowing that the Lord had sent them granted me the peaceful assurance that the Lord would also take care of the outcome.
After all, our Lord is able to restore even the crops devoured by the locusts. Thanks to this insight, I did not panic at all amid last Saturday's sudden dilemma. Instead, I set about rearranging the timing. "Pastor, would it be possible for us to meet at six instead? An unexpected guest is arriving from Yeongwol, Gangwon-do." He immediately called back and warmly assured me that having two more guests for dinner would be no problem at all.
"What plans have you made for dinner? The pastor who invited us says he would be delighted to host two more." And so, around five o'clock—our originally planned time—we headed to Eonyang together. A sumptuous dinner was prepared, centering on fresh raw oysters and delectable fish. The missionary couple from Yeongwol were overjoyed at the sight of the raw oysters. As for myself, ever since suffering food poisoning from raw oysters at a buffet decades ago, every attempt—after three years, five years, or even ten years—had resulted in the exact same stomach trouble, leading me to give up eating raw oysters altogether. Yet that evening, I decided to take a leap of faith, and this time, it was a complete success.
For someone born and raised on a southern island, being unable to eat raw oysters was a shame bordering on having one's name struck from the hometown registry, but at long last, I overcame it. The rich conversation shared between our generous host and the missionary couple was an added blessing. What initially looked like a logistical headache was transformed into the most delightful gathering through the timely intervention of the Master of our time. Furthermore, by the end of our conversation, we found ourselves dreaming of a trip to Israel in 2027 guided by Pastor Cho from Eonyang. Ultimately, the future rests entirely in the hands of God, the true Master of all time.
Dit was verlede Saterdag omstreeks half twee die middag. Heeltemal onverwags het 'n afgetrede sendeling wat in Yeongwol in die provinsie Gangwon woon, na 'n lang stilte van hom laat hoor. Hy het verduidelik dat hy op pad was na Ulsan nadat hy gevra is om Sondag in 'n plaaslike gemeente te preek. Omdat hy my nie tot las wou wees nie, het hy nie vooraf laat weet nie, maar nou het hy per boodskap gevra of ons dalk tyd sou hê vir 'n koppie tee.
Eintlik was my middag reeds vol bespreek. Tussen twee- en drie-uur sou 'n leraar wat voorheen deel van Ulsan Gemeente was en tans in Sejong woon, kom tee drink. Boonop het 'n afgetrede vriend-leraar van Eonyang my pas laat weet dat hy vars haarstertvis en oesters uit sy tuisdorp Tongyeong saamgebring het en my vir ete genooi—'n uitnodiging waarop ek reeds volmondig ja gesê het.
Terwyl ek gewonder het wat die beste plan sou wees, het ek besluit om die wysheid in te span wat ek oor die jare heen geleer het. Toe ek ná die stigting van twee gemeentes in Seoel na Ulsan verhuis het om my bediening by Ulsan Gemeente te begin, was die getal lidmate hemelsbreed verskillend van Dure- of Tanpori-gemeente in Seoel. Die werklas was oorweldigend. As ek nie fyn trap en my kop bymekaar hou nie, het dit gevoel asof my verpligtinge soos treine op 'n besige spoorrooster teen mekaar sou bots.
'n Jaar ná my koms het al my vriende wat ek ontmoet het, sonder uitsondering gevra waarom ek so vreeslik verouder het. Onder daardie omstandighede was dit buite die kwessie om Kerskaartjies te stuur. Tog kon ek dit nie oor my hart kry om die kaartjies wat ek ontvang het, van die hand te wys bloot omdat ek besig was nie. Maar pleks van vreugde en dankbaarheid te ervaar wanneer ek 'n kaartjie ontvang, was ek so uitgeput deur die werk dat ek verbitterd gedink het: "Julle het darem 'n maklike lewe dat julle tyd het om Kerskaartjies te stuur!" Dit was 'n heeltemal onsinnige, beskaamde reaksie.
In daardie dae, as 'n aktiewe leraar wat elke Sondag vars preke moes lewer, was naweke van rus 'n baie skaars luukse. Maar dit was slegs my eie, beperkte perspektief. Lang telefoonoproepe om na lidmate se hartseer en bekommernisse te luister, was onvermydelik, en onverwagte gaste het sommer sonder afspraak opgedaag. Maar eendag het 'n nuwe insig tot my deurgedring: al verskyn iemand nie op my beplande rooster nie, is hulle deur die Meester gestuur; al kom die oproep ongeleë, is dit deur die Meester toegelaat. Daardie besef het my hele gesindheid verander. Selfs al was iemand nie deel van my noukeurige dagbeplanning nie, het die wete dat die Here hulle gestuur het, my die rustigheid gegee dat Hy ook vir die uitkoms sou sorg.
Ons Here kan immers selfs die oeste herstel wat deur die sprinkane verslind is. Danksy daardie lewensles was ek verlede Saterdagmiddag glad nie paniekerig nie. Ek het besluit om die tyd 'n bietjie te skuif: "Dominee, sou ons dalk om sesuur kon ontmoet? Iemand uit Yeongwol, Gangwon-do, het onverwags opgedaag." Hy het dadelik teruggebel en hartlik gesê dat nog twee gaste baie welkom sou wees vir aandete.
"Wat is julle planne vir aandete? Die leraar wat ons genooi het, sê hy kan met graagte nog twee gaste ontvang." En so het ons omstreeks vyfuur—die tyd wat oorspronklik afgespreek is—saam na Eonyang vertrek. 'n Heerlike feesmaal met vars rou oesters en geurige vis het op ons gewag. Die sendelingpaar uit Yeongwol was buite hulself van vreugde toe hulle die vars oesters sien. Wat myself betref: jare gelede het ek by 'n buffet slegte rou oesters geëet en geweldig maagsiek geword. Sedertdien het elke daaropvolgende poging—na drie jaar, vyf jaar, of selfs tien jaar—altyd presies dieselfde maagomkering veroorsaak, sodat ek rou oesters heeltemal afgesweer het. Tog het ek daardie aand besluit om die waagstuk aan te pak, en hierdie keer het dit volkome geslaag.
Vir iemand wat van 'n suidelike eiland kom, was die onvermoë om rou oesters te eet 'n skande wat amper jou naam van die stamboom van jou tuisdorp kon laat skrap, maar uiteindelik het ek dit oorkom. Die hartlike samesyn en gesprek tussen ons gasheer en die sendelingpaar was 'n wonderlike ekstra geskenk. Wat aanvanklik na 'n ingewikkelde roosterbotsing gelyk het, is deur die ingryping van die Meester van ons tyd in 'n volmaakte samekoms omskep. Bowenal het ons teen die einde van die aand begin droom oor 'n reis na Israel in 2027 onder leiding van ds. Cho van Eonyang. Uiteindelik berus die toekoms volkome in die hande van God, die ware Meester van alle tyd.