All the world’s a stage and all men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances. And one man in his time plays many parts, said William Shakespeare.

The Apostle Paul put it this way: I planted a seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. On this All Saints Sunday, let us consider this stage of life where many have played their parts upon our lives and have made a dramatic difference.

What I want to say to you is really contained in two simple statements. We are recipients; we are receivers. Many others have played upon our lives. We are not alone in this world. Others have paved the way. The longer I live, the more I long for a single word to shape my life. That single word is gratitude. We are not born grateful. It is learned behavior. We are born saying hol…