Christmas is the most beautiful time of the year, but for some people, it can be really tough. Being single is great. But as the days get shorter and cooler, I begin to struggle more with loneliness.
And like me, you may also sometimes prefer hitting the “fast-forward-to-the-BBQ-at-beach-in-summer” button.
Christmas is still a couple of weeks away. And wouldn’t that be amazing if you could spend Christmas in good company?
Let me give you five creative ideas to meet people this Christmas season
Online dating provides you with a substantially higher chance of success in finding a partner. Rather than being limited to the singles living in your immediate area, you can now reach out to single people all over the globe.
When I understood the fantastic potential of online dating sites, I signed up. Initially, I was wary and entered the sites cautiously, but then I found myself enjoying the dopamine kick of browsing through the profiles. In the beginning, the sheer number of potential women I could reach out to overwhelmed me, so I had to learn to focus on just a few at a time.
Online dating can be a powerful tool, and I encourage you to use it — with one warning: if you are not careful, it can consume much of your time and energy. To maintain a balance in my life, I developed the discipline of visiting the sites for predetermined lengths of time and focusing on two to three women only.
I have found online dating challenging.
I tried it for several years and met some great women but found that some restrictions of this method of meeting women made me uncomfortable. On many sites, after the second or third date, I had to choose whether or not to limit my contact with her. In a face-to-face setting, I like to allow a relationship to progress more organically by maintaining a level of friendship until the magic moment hits — or doesn’t.
For me, online dating was difficult because it lacked in-person contact and the pressure to decide on the relationship’s future immediately. However, if you are comfortable deciding about a relationship after just a few dates, then online dating may be a powerful tool for you to use to find your soulmate.
If online dating is your thing, try it during this Christmas season.
Everyday interactions with friends can lead to you meeting a new person who might become your future spouse. I am very grateful to my friends who have put me in contact with other singles. And I often meet single people while attending events such as birthday parties, BBQs, and weddings.
This may not sound like a revolutionary idea. Still, if you are strategic about pushing yourself to get to know a new person at each event, you will be amazed at how quickly you can expand your circle of acquaintances, even if you only meet one new person each time.
Challenge yourself to do it.
Also, like with professional networking, consider asking your friends if they know someone you should get to know.
You’ll be surprised to find nearly all of them do. And perhaps one of them wants to avoid spending Christmas alone. Utilize these referrals to expand your network of friends and increase your chances of meeting someone special.
Even if you do not meet your soulmate, the process will bolster your confidence so that when you do meet that special someone, you will have the courage to talk to them.
So, get up, switch off your Netflix series, and call a friend for a referral.
Thank you so much to each of you who organizes any kind of hangouts where singles can meet.
In Lausanne, Switzerland — the city I lived in for many years — several churches have single communities open to various people, including those from other churches.
They organize hangouts where they invite a diverse group of singles and provide a safe place to meet. These hangouts are great places to meet singles who share your values and commitment to helping others. Look for events like these near you.
I wish I had known about Facebook groups earlier. I, indeed, would have joined one. I only discovered their potential recently while researching the content of my book Single for a Season.
Facebook groups provide a safe forum for singles to meet, share ideas, and have intellectual discussions.
They also allowed me to posit ideas for this book by posting some of my quotes and blog articles. “Facebook groups could be an alternative to online dating platforms,” I thought. Or at least the groups could complement online dating.
To find a great selection of exciting groups, type “Christian singles groups on Facebook” or “Christian singles groups near me” into the Facebook search bar.
Even before COVID-19, the internet was impacting how we think about dating. Is it possible to have meaningful and satisfactory exchanges with other singles online?
You have no other choice when you undergo a lockdown — such as the ones caused by the ongoing COVID crisis.
In many countries, we had to become creative and use technology to meet other singles. I preferred other methods of meeting women, but it did work.
The physical distance forced me to get to know the person on the screen in a meaningful way, through text and video chats. And it took the focus off the physical aspects of the relationship. Although it may not have been as personal as I would have liked, I did enjoy meeting other singles over the internet. I appreciated the freedom it provided to reach out to anyone anywhere in the world.
And by the way, if you don’t find anyone in your area, an online Christmas celebration with others living in other parts of the world might be an idea. Try. You’ve Nothing to Lose.
The methods of meeting others mentioned above do not guarantee success. They may help you to meet someone, or they may not.
Try one or the other method. You’ve nothing to lose.
If it works, celebrate it.
If the time is not right, it won’t happen, and that’s fine.
Whatever the outcome, we must remind ourselves that we cannot push our destiny. God is in control and is doing an excellent job at it.
