GUEST POST: ‘Girl Power’ By Dawn Wyatt

Our second post for Open Mic Week comes to us from Dawn Wyatt. Dawn is a barista, writer, and aspiring seminary student living in Bowling Green, KY. You can find her blog at morningstardawn.blogspot.com and follow her on Twitter @Dawn_N_W. 
 
I’m a huge coffee person. I love coffee. I work in coffee and I do a lot of living in coffee.

The thing I love most about my business is the impact it has on someone’s day. Unlike any other food or drink medium, coffee is an experience. It gives me an opportunity to open your eyes to the nuances in flavor, to tell you about the people that grew your coffee, to make your day better by making something that tastes like heaven.

Recently, the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) hosted the annual United States Barista Championship (USBC). Yes, that is exactly what it sounds like. Baristas from all over the country compete in the finest and most challenging aspects of our field. This year’s champion was a woman. Katie’s victory sparked talk all throughout the industry about women in coffee. It’s long been a male-dominated field in the US, but there are women, such as Katie, who are proving that girl power was not just a 90s pop music catch phrase.

There’s also been a lot of talk lately about women in the ministry. John Piper recently spoke about the masculinity of Christianity. Denominations are consistently debating over the roles of women; not just in ordination but what levels of leadership may or may not be appropriate. There are women in ministry making a difference and setting incredibly good examples, but it’s still somewhat of a novelty.

It occurred to me this evening as I was reading about both of my passions that I am consistently identified as a “woman in…” I’m a woman in coffee. I’m a woman in ministry. That’s great. Thanks for noticing. And while I will say that my womanhood definitely impacts my behavior, my motivations, my thoughts, it doesn’t define me. I’m defined as a child of God. I’m defined by my gifts. I’m defined by my actions. I’m not defined by my gender.

The things I do and who I am is much more impacted by being the only daughter of Peggie and Gene, little sister to Randy, Clif, and T; friend to many; lover of African coffees and the perfect Americano; lover to a fault; and maker of one helluva good cup of coffee. These are the things that impact how well I live out my two passions: coffee and ministry.

I think it’s time that we stop identifying ourselves as “women in…” We are people in service, people in coffee, people in ministry, people united as one in the love of delicious coffee and/or the love of an Almighty God.