Author Archives: Urenna Kiwanuka

With everything the world is facing at the moment, and more specifically, the issue of racism being highlighted, it can sometimes be difficult to know what to say, or how to manage potentially awkward conversations. If you are currently dating or considering a relationship with someone of a different race and you want to show your support as well as understand them a bit more, here are a few tips on navigating those potentially difficult conversations.

The Coronavirus has affected all of our lives. For some, this pause is actually a welcome break from the craziness of regular life, whereas for others, it spells a time of uncertainty and frustration, or worse. The situation can seem hopeless and focusing on just the negative news and information, can lead to a strong temptation to give up hope and succumb to the negativity. You may be struggling at the moment because you are not able to meet up with a loved one, or perhaps date as you would like to, but, I want you to know that it is possible to have hope in the midst of all of this.

A godly dating relationship should allow both parties to grow together in their walk with God. Before social distancing, the lockdown and other restrictions, you could perhaps visit each other’s churches, attend Christian festivals together, and take part in other ways of shared fellowship, but the lockdown has changed the way we do things.

The Bible says in James 4:8, ‘Draw near to God and He will draw near to you’. I believe that in times like this, we need to draw near to God like never before. The Coronavirus situation has affected all of us in one way or the other, and some, more than others. On a personal level, I’ve had plans, some minor, and others quite major, cancelled or postponed, and there is nothing I can do about it. I’ve heard the word ‘unprecedented’ used so many times in the last few weeks that I’ve lost count. Life as we know it has changed and the future seems very uncertain for many. But, as Christians, we have hope because we serve a God that doesn’t change.

It has been said that you can’t keep doing the same thing and expect to get different results. When it comes to how we think meeting people should happen, a lot of us are pretty set in our ways. Take me, for example. My single life routine was pretty much going to work, then home, church, then home and repeat. I hung out with friends and went to parties here and there but that was pretty much it. I expected that if I was going to meet someone it would have to happen either at church (even though there were only a handful of men) or through one of my friends.

I was speaking with someone recently, and although they were single and trusting God to bring them their life partner at some point, they were concerned that they sometimes self-sabotage. One of the reasons they gave was that they were not usually very friendly towards the few guys they met, especially if those guys were not quite ‘their type’.

Christmas is here, and soon it’ll be New Year’s Eve! Shopping, carol services, Christmas lights, mulled wine and maybe the occasional party. For some singles, the festive season conjures up feelings of joy and thoughts of cosy nights in. For others, it comes with some trepidation; another family get-together with the same old questions – ‘What’s new with you?’, ‘Dating anyone?’ And of course, the classic ‘When are you getting married?’

My husband and I act as a support couple for couples thinking about getting married. We help to facilitate conversation between them, and encourage them to talk about any areas that may be contentious. After talking with one couple recently I realised that there are some questions people don’t think about asking each other unless prompted.