2019년 말에는 교회에서, 2025년 초에는 학교에서 은퇴하다 보니, 두 차례나 은퇴를 했습니다. 목회에서 은퇴할 때는 ‘앞으로 무슨 일을 할 것인지’에 대한 질문을 받았다면, 요즈음 받는 질문은 ‘하루를 어떻게 보내느냐’는 질문을 가끔 받습니다. 한 마디로 말하면 두 차례 은퇴가 주는 해방감 때문에 기쁨 기도 감사의 삶이 더욱 풍성합니다. 아침 6시가 되기 전에 눈을 뜨면 듣습니다. 15분 내외의 시간을 들여, 울산교회 성도들이 하고 있는 <리딩 지저스> 성경읽기 진도를 듣습니다. 큰 흐름을 따라 성경을 들으면서 하나님의 음성을 듣습니다. 그리고는 인슈린을 투여하고, 반신욕조로 향합니다. 30분 정도의 시간을 들여서 면도를 하며 하루를 준비하는 시간입니다.
<두산리 안골못 전경>
6시 반부터는 아침 식사 시간입니다. 아내와 처제 모두 세 사람이 함께 살다보니, 삼시세끼마다 정해진 감사기도 당번(?)이 있습니다. 또한 각 사람의 역할도 구분되어 있습니다. 한 사람은 음식을 준비하고 한 사람은 식탁을 차리고 한 사람은 커피를 내립니다. 요즈음은 겨울이라 춥고 어둡기 때문에 식사를 한 후에 커피를 마시고, 7시 15부터 실내 자전거를 45분간 탑니다. (실내자전거 타기는 저녁 먹고도 합니다. 39년차 당뇨인이기 때문입니다) 그리고 가끔 시간이 되는 날은 30분 정도 보이차 타임을 이어서 갖습니다. 그리고 나면 각자는 자기 방으로 들어가서 할 일을 합니다. 나는 9시부터 12시까지 세 시간 가운데 성서유니온이 발행한 <매일성경> 묵상시간으로 잡아 둡니다. 물론 그날 그날 생일을 만난 분들에게 축복의 말을 건넨다든지 본문 묵상을 하고 기도를 하는 시간을 갖습니다. 문안, 묵상, 기도를 글로 쓰는 시간입니다.
<까치들의 봄맞이>
생일 축복의 말을 카톡으로 건네다보면 근황을 주고 받기도 하면서, 새로운 기도제목을 발견하고 짧지만 기도를 글로 남기려고 씁니다. 나름 오랫동안 <적자생존>을 주장하고 있습니다. <적자생존>은 성경 66권을 기록으로 남기신 하늘 아버지를 닮아가는 삶이라고 믿습니다. 의미 있는 삶을 살려면 무조건 기록을 남기자는 소신을 갖고 실천합니다. 기록으로 남기는 의미에서 <적자, to write>입니다. 같은 매일성경 본문이라도 5, 6년 만에 옛 기록을 읽으면 새로운 은혜를 받기도 합니다. 쓸 일이 끝나면 주로 읽습니다.
<봄이 오는 전경>
12시 점심은 저의 감사기도 차례입니다. 요즈음 같은 겨울에는 점심을 먹고나서 걷습니다. 그동안 주로 들판길을 줄기차게 걸었지만 가끔은 산으로도 올라갑니다. 물론 지팡이가 안전을 위해 꼭 필요합니다. 목발 없이 걷기를 시작할 때 조심해야 한다고 충고를 받았기 때문입니다. 입춘도 지났고 유심히 살피면 일년 사시절 푸른 나무들에도 봄기운이 보입니다. 대나무, 소나무뿐만 아니라 수양버들에도 봄은 오고 있습니다. 산책을 다녀온 오후 시간이나 남는 저녁 시간에는 주로 읽습니다. 읽고 싶은 책들이 줄을 서 있습니다. 선물로 받은 책 중, 최근에 인상깊게 읽은 책은 생명의 말씀사에서 나온 최진석, 최보인 님이 쓴 <매일 아침 아빠의 묵상이 배달됩니다>와 우종영 지음, 한성수 엮음으로 메이븐에서 나온 <나는 나무에게서 인생을 배웠다>입니다. 여유로운 시간이 있고 읽고 싶은 책이 수없이 기다리니 나는 행복한 사람입니다. 두번이나 은퇴를 하고 나니 매일 하루라는 시간을 주신 그 분과 함께 여유롭게 동행할 수 있어서 감사합니다.
Having retired from church ministry at the end of 2019 and from the university in early 2025, I have retired twice. When I retired from pastoral ministry, people used to ask, “What are you going to do next?” Nowadays, the question I occasionally receive is, “How do you spend your days?” In a word, thanks to the sense of liberation granted by these two retirements, my life of joy, prayer, and thanksgiving has become even richer. When I open my eyes before 6:00 a.m., I listen. Spending about fifteen minutes, I listen along with the Reading Jesus Bible reading schedule followed by the saints of Ulsan Church. Following the grand narrative of Scripture, I listen to God’s voice. Afterward, I administer my insulin and head to the half-bath tub. Taking about thirty minutes, I shave and prepare for the day ahead.
From 6:30 a.m., it is breakfast time. Since three of us—my wife, my sister-in-law, and I—live together, we have designated turns for offering the prayer of thanksgiving for each of our three daily meals. Our individual roles are also well divided: one prepares the food, one sets the table, and one brews the coffee. Because it is winter now, cold and dark outside, we enjoy our coffee after the meal, and starting at 7:15 a.m., I ride the stationary bicycle for forty-five minutes. (I ride the indoor bike after dinner as well, being a diabetic of thirty-nine years.) Whenever time permits, we follow this with a thirty-minute Pu'er tea time. After that, each of us retreats to our own room to attend to our respective tasks. Between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon, I set aside these three hours for meditating on Daily Bible (Maeil Seongkyeong), published by Scripture Union. Of course, during this time I send words of blessing to those celebrating birthdays that day, reflect deeply on the passage, and pray. It is a time dedicated to putting greetings, meditations, and prayers into writing.
While sending birthday greetings via KakaoTalk, we exchange news about our lives, which leads me to discover new prayer requests and write down prayers, however brief. For a long time, I have championed the motto of “Survival of the Fittest” (Jeok-ja-saeng-jon, a pun meaning “those who write down survive”). I believe that writing things down reflects the life of resembling our Heavenly Father, who left us the sixty-six books of the Bible in written record. Convinced that one must record unconditionally to live a meaningful life, I put this conviction into practice. It is about “writing down” (jeok-ja, to write). Even with the same Daily Bible passage, re-reading my old notes five or six years later often brings fresh grace. Once my writing is finished, I spend most of my time reading.
At 12:00 noon, it is my turn to lead the thanksgiving prayer for lunch. In winters like this, I take a walk after lunch. While I used to walk tirelessly along field paths, I now occasionally climb the mountain path as well. A walking stick is, of course, an absolute necessity for safety, as I was advised to exercise caution when beginning to walk without crutches. The onset of spring (Ipchun) has already passed, and upon close inspection, the vitality of spring is discernible even in the evergreen trees throughout all four seasons. Spring is arriving not only in the bamboos and pines, but also in the weeping willows. In the afternoons after my walks or during spare evening hours, I mostly read. Books I wish to read are lined up in abundance. Among those received as gifts, books that recently left a deep impression on me include Every Morning, Dad’s Meditation Is Delivered by Choi Jin-seok and Choi Bo-in (published by Word of Life Press) and I Learned About Life from Trees by Woo Jong-young, compiled by Han Sung-soo (published by Maven). With leisurely time at hand and countless cherished books waiting to be read, I am truly a blessed and happy man. Having retired twice, I am deeply grateful to walk unhurriedly hand in hand with the One who grants me each and every day.
Aangesien ek aan die einde van 2019 uit die gemeentebediening en vroeg in 2025 by die universiteit afgetree het, het ek twee maal afgetree. Toe ek uit die herdersbediening getree het, is ek gevra: “Wat gaan u vorentoe doen?” Maar deesdae kry ek dikwels die vraag: “Hoe bring u die dag deur?” In een woord saamgevat: danksy die gevoel van bevryding wat hierdie twee aftredes bring, is my lewe van vreugde, gebed en dankbaarheid selfs nog ryker. Wanneer my oë voor 06:00 die oggend oopgaan, luister ek. Vir sowat vyftien minute luister ek na die Reading Jesus-bybelleesrooster wat deur die lidmate van Ulsan Gemeente gevolg word. Terwyl ek die groot lyn van die Skrif volg, luister ek na God se stem. Daarna dien ek my insulien toe en gaan na die sitbad. Ek neem sowat dertig minute om te skeer en myself vir die dag voor te berei.
Van 06:30 af is dit ontbyttyd. Aangesien ons drie saamwoon—my vrou, my skoonsuster en ek—het ons ’n vaste beurt vir die dankgebed voor elkeen van die drie daaglikse maaltye. Elkeen se rol is ook duidelik afgebaken: een berei die kos voor, een dek die tafel, en een maak die koffie. Aangesien dit tans winter is en buite koud en donker bly, drink ons ná ete koffie, en vanaf 07:15 ry ek vir 45 minute op die oefenfiets. (Ek ry ook ná aandete weer op die binnenshuise fiets, aangesien ek reeds 39 jaar lank met diabetes leef.) Soms, wanneer tyd dit toelaat, geniet ons daarna ’n teetyd van sowat dertig minute met Pu-erh-tee. Daarna gaan elkeen na sy eie kamer om sy dagtake aan te pak. Tussen 09:00 en 12:00 sonder ek hierdie drie ure af vir bepeinsing oor Daaglikse Bybel (Maeil Seongkyeong), uitgegee deur die Skrifunie. Natuurlik gebruik ek hierdie tyd ook om seënwense te stuur aan diegene wat daardie dag verjaar, die Skrifgedeelte te bepeins en te bid. Dit is ’n tyd wat gewy word aan die neerskryf van groete, bepeinsings en gebede.
Wanneer ek verjaarsdagseënwense per KakaoTalk stuur, ruil ons dikwels nuus oor mekaar se lewens uit; sodoende ontdek ek nuwe gebedsversoeke en skryf ek kort gebede op papier neer. Ek huldig al lank die leuse van “oorlewing van die optekenaar” (jeok-ja-saeng-jon—’n woordspeling wat beteken dat dié wat aantekeninge maak, oorleef). Ek glo dat die neerpen van dinge ’n lewe weerspieël wat al hoe meer lyk op dié van ons hemelse Vader, wat die 66 boeke van die Bybel vir ons op skrif nagelaat het. Met die vaste oortuiging dat ’n mens sonder uitsondering aantekeninge moet hou om ’n betekenisvolle lewe te lei, pas ek dit daagliks toe. Dit gaan om “neerskryf” (jeok-ja, om te skryf). Selfs met dieselfde teksgedeelte uit die Daaglikse Bybel, ontvang ’n mens dikwels opnuut genade wanneer jy jou ou aantekeninge van vyf of ses jaar gelede herlees. Wanneer die skryfwerk afgehandel is, lees ek meestal.
<’n Landskap waar die lente aanbreek>
Om 12:00 met middagete is dit my beurt om die dankgebed te doen. In ’n winter soos hierdie gaan stap ek ná middagete. Waar ek voorheen aanhoudend op veldpaadjies gestap het, klim ek nou soms ook teen die berg uit. ’n Wandelstok is natuurlik noodsaaklik vir veiligheid, aangesien ek aangeraai is om baie versigtig te wees toe ek sonder krukke begin loop het. Die begin van die lente (Ipchun) het reeds aangebreek, en as ’n mens fyn oplet, kan jy die lentekrag selfs in die bome gewaar wat die hele jaar deur groen bly. Nie net in die bamboes en die dennebome nie, maar ook in die treurwilgers is die lente besig om te ontwaak. In die namiddag ná my wandeling of gedurende oorblywende aande lees ek hoofsaaklik. Die boeke wat ek graag wil lees, staan in ’n lang ry en wag. Onder die geskenkboeke wat my onlangs diep beïndruk het, is Elke Oggend Word Pa se Bepeinsing Afgelewer deur Choi Jin-seok en Choi Bo-in (uitgegee deur Woord van die Lewe-uitgewers) en Ek Het Lewenslesse by Bome Geleer deur Woo Jong-young, saamgestel deur Han Sung-soo (uitgegee deur Maven). Omdat ek rustige tyd tot my beskikking het en ontelbare boeke op my wag om gelees te word, is ek ’n baie gelukkige mens. Noudat ek twee keer afgetree het, is ek innig dankbaar dat ek in alle rustigheid saam met Hom kan wandel wat aan my elke nuwe dag as ’n geskenk toevertrou.