What is Culture?

What is CULTURE?
CULTURE….. that word congers up so much in my mind. The first twenty- two years of my life I would have never given the word a second thought. But now I am hit with the word everyday. I believe culture is partly who we have become through where we live, the influences of the people we are around, and the circumstances we have come through. Does one change culture or does culture change a person? A question I have been processing for some time. Will I always think the way I do because of the culture I grew up in, or if I live in another culture will I someday think/become like them?
Needless to say, the culture has hit me HARD this week. Yes, I LOVE these people with all my heart, but I don’t always love the way they live. I have realized that I can focus on those areas that drive me crazy and allow them to eat away at me. Or I can pray and seek an understanding of those areas. Do I expect people to change their way of life for me? Or am I willing to open my heart to a change? Okay, hold on there- I know where your thoughts may be going. You may be thinking, “So, Tara- you think we should change our lives to accommodate others?” Not necessarily, but is our stubbornness to keep our culture hindering us from ministering/reaching out to others? This is a difficult entry for me. I don’t have the answers I am DAILY reminded of that. This idea of culture and where we/I fit has come up continually through the last two years. But I have come to realize that personally if I don’t make an effort to understand and embrace to a point the culture I am living in then I may just be doing more of a hindrance than good. Often times what people believe in or don’t believe in is based on their culture. So today as I process I ask for prayer. First, that God will give me patience with those little annoyances. Second, that the culture of these people won’t let me lose focus of their HEARTS and their NEED for the Savior. Third, that I can understand their culture enough to be able to connect at a deeper level to share a heart for their burdens.