Happy Birthday, Howie!

Today one of our beloved seniors at First Baptist Church turns 93. His name is Howard Robbins, and he’s no stranger to most of us.

Howard and his brother grew up in Randolph with his parents, where they attended the First Baptist Church in Randolph. In 1938, Howard was wed to Marion (the same year Howard’s future son-in-law, Harold Noyce, was born!). Marion remained Howard’s faithful companion – the love of his life – for 63 years, until the Lord called her home in 2000. In 1941, Howard and Marion bought a home at 14 Belmont Street here in Weymouth, where they raised their four children – Joan, Kenny, Nancy, and Janet. Howard still lives in this same house, along with his daughter Nancy and her husband Harold. (All three of them are members at First Baptist Church here in Weymouth, which is in the same neighborhood as their house.)

Incidentally, Howard started attending our church when it was still located down on Lincoln Square. Then, when his children were grown, he attended Tremont Baptist Temple in Boston for a few years. It was there, in 1975, that Howard actually committed his life to Christ – the year after his daughter Nancy came to know the Lord. Since then, Howard has been a dedicated Christian, living his life to the glory of God. Eventually Howard came back to FBC in Weymouth, where he has been part of our church family for decades.

Some of you know that, in addition to working as a gas station attendant, Howard also worked as a printer for a number of years. But did you know that he played the drums? Yes, indeed! His daughter Nancy tells me he was quite the drummer! (Keep that in mind, Pastor Nick, in case you ever need a back-up for Frank!)

I met Howard when I came on the pastoral staff in May of 1999, the same month Howard turned 85. I had never met an octogenarian with so much youthful energy! And he still has it! Shake Howie's hand at church, and you’ll find it’s as solid a grip as any other man you’ll meet! Plus, you’ll get a warm smile and a compliment that will keep you encouraged for the rest of the day. But my most memorable experiences with Howard have been the times that I have prayed with this wonderful man of God. I remember being in a prayer group with him during the Week of Prayer (I think this was in January, 2007) and being lifted up to the heights of heaven as I heard genuine, joyful thanksgiving being made to God for the gift of salvation in Christ. With no reservation whatsoever, Howard freely acknowledged what a "rotten sinner" he was, and yet what a remarkable Savior Jesus is! He was rejoicing like a man who had just been saved five minutes earlier, not half a century ago! I remember praying in my spirit even as Howie prayed that, if the Lord tarries and I live to be anywhere as old as Howie, that I would have the same unfeigned love and zeal that he has for the Lord. Truly, the joy of the Lord is his strength!

Men like Howard remind me of Caleb in the Old Testament. Remember, he was one of only two spies of the twelve sent into Canaan who believed that Israel would be victorious over the Canaanites and inherit the land as God had promised. While the other ten spies were saying, "We can’t do it; the people are too strong for us!" (Numbers 13:31, paraphrase), Caleb and Joshua said, "We should by all means go up and take possession of the land, for we shall surely overcome it" (Numbers 13:30, paraphrase). Forty-five years later, after the wilderness wanderings and the conquest of Canaan, Caleb stepped forward to claim his piece of land. "Give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the Lord helping me, I wil drive them out just as he said" (Joshua 14:12). When most men would have retired, Caleb was still conquering mountains!

What made this old veteran so young at heart? His walk with the Lord! Three times we are told that that Caleb wholeheartedly followed the Lord God of Israel. In his book, The Strength of a Man, David Roper writes,

Half-hearted men – those who fool around with personal ambition and enterprise and make retirement their chief end – don’t comprehend. They wither and die before their time. You see them around every town, dull and dreary old men with nothing to do, sitting on park benches or living on Park Avenue, with that dead look in their eyes – over the hill and never on top. Not so Caleb.

And not so Howard! The joy of the Lord is this man’s strength, and it is a joy for me to see!

Certainly a lot more could be said. With that in mind, I’d like to encourage you to leave a comment as well. Be assured that, before the day is over, Howard will be reading these himself.

Howard, thank you for being such a faithful and joyful servant of Jesus Christ. We love you, brother!