Money money money?

It's tempting to think that if only we had oodles of cash, half the world's problems could be solved - all those starving children fed, vital medication supplied, the neighbours' rent paid, the homeless housed ....

But in reality, having or giving money on its own isn't the answer.

A great quote from Amy Carmichael, a missionary from Belfast, was:

'You can give without loving but you can't love without giving.'

Giving financial aid without love leaves the recipients out in the cold: it's a handout without a heart.

What's needed is generous hearts, even if the sums of money don't seem spectacular.

It takes warmth for lives to grow - both the giver's and the receiver's.

So I'm not praying to win the lottery, but to learn to love - not the sentimental, sorry-for-you kind of love, but the kind that can't help giving the best it has to offer.