You shall know that I am in the midst of
Israel, and that I, the Lord, am your God and there is no other. And my people shall
never again be put to shame. Then afterwards I will pour out my spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and
your young men shall see visions.
Joel 2:27-28
People of
faith, people with a compassionate heart, people who see the most vulnerable
among us can make a difference. Sometimes it takes the dream or vision of a
single individual to see a need and bring others together to address that need.
More than 100
years ago, Enos Artman, a successful carpet merchant in Philadelphia, saw a
need and had an amazing vision to provide a home for the most vulnerable of his
generation. Enos never saw his vision become reality.
But his wife,
Caroline, was inspired by her husband’s vision and brought it to life by
opening the Artman Home for Lutherans in Sellersville, PA, in 1916.
In 1924,
Caroline moved the home from Sellersville and purchased the Haywood Mansion in
Ambler. Twenty residents moved into the mansion and lived there for more than 30
years, tending to the gardens and harvesting the fruit trees. Since 1916, the Artman
community has experienced a lot of
growth and it
all started with the vision of a husband and wife who saw a need and responded.
None of us
can do the work of Artman alone. Staff, volunteers, and benefactors continue to
come together to make a difference in the lives of others. Our time, skills and
gifts to Artman, combined with the time, skills and gifts of others, are making
a positive difference to those served by the Artman community.
And to think,
it all started with a dream—a single vision of a husband who saw a need and his
wife, who worked to make his dream a reality.
Let’s build on
the dream of Enos and Caroline Artman. We can do it by working together and
inviting others to join us as we provide compassionate quality care to our
senior community.
Compassionate God, who stirs our hearts
and minds to dream dreams, guide us that we may make wise decisions and continue
to build upon the dreams of our elders as faithful stewards of all that you provide.
Amen.
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