Having Your Mind Focused on Two Countries
The Return
Craig and Marcy Hammonds will return this month to their ministry in Papua New Guinea (PNG). A little while ago, Craig commented on an “ailment” that often afflicts missionaries: the “split-mind syndrome.” “As we are approximately eight weeks from getting on a plane to return to our home in PNG, I find my mind being pulled in opposite directions,” Craig said.
The Issue
“We have been taught that transitions are a part of our lives,” Craig continued. “We have grown to understand that change is inevitable and is integrated into our lives.
“We say goodbye to friends and family when we leave for the field … when friends who have become family leave the field, or when we are the ones leaving. … And yet even in the knowledge that this is part of our life, I find that my mind still struggles to not be ‘split,’ to stay focused on what is in front of me right now.”
The Resolution
“Yet, as I struggle to keep my mind on the immediate task, I am reminded that … the grace of the Lord Jesus was sufficient for the Apostle Paul. It most certainly is sufficient for my challenged mind and me. His grace is the reason I am able to say ‘Yes, we will leave again and return to the mission field.’ And when we get there, His grace will sustain me. … His grace is able to keep me, even when my mind is ‘split.’”
Pray for missionaries as they make transitions and have those “split-mind” moments.