REP. ROBIN HAYES:
GOOD
AFTERNOON.
I AM ROBIN HAYES.
HOWARD WAS MY DADDY.
[LAUGHTER]
REP. ROBIN HAYES:
PASTOR MILLER,
I PARTICULARLY APPRECIATED YOUR
COMMENTS, WHICH WERE SO
APPROPRIATE, ABOUT HOW WORDS
CONCERN FOR PEOPLE'S FAITH'S
JOURNEY.
I WOULD LIKE TO IDENTIFY MYSELF
TO -- YOU
--
YOU CAN REST ASSURED THAT DADDY
IS SITTING UP THERE AS THE RIGHT
HAND OF GOD, SAYING
STRIKE THAT,
STRIKE THAT, STRIKE THAT.
[LAUGHTER]
REP. ROBIN HAYES:
TO HIS FAMILY,
THANK YOU FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF
BEING HERE TODAY.
WE SHARE YOUR GRIEF, BUT WE
SHARE THE CELEBRATION OF THE MAN
YOU HAVE PROVIDED FOR US TO
BE
FRIENDS WITH.
HOWARD WAS CREATED IN GOD'S OWN
IMAGE.
WE ALL ARE.
GOD HAS
A PLAN FOR ALL OUR
LIVES, AND HE HAD A FANTASTIC
PLAN FOR JOHN HOWARD COBLE'S
LIFE.
HAS THERE EVER BEEN A BETTER
EXAMPLE OF A KIND, GENTLE,
THOUGHTFUL, CONSIDERATE PERSON
THAN JOHN HOWARD COBLE?
I CANNOT THINK OF ONE.
I AM HONORED TO HAVE BEEN ASKED
TO BE HERE AND TO SPEAK OF HOW
HIS LIFE.
I AFFECTIONATELY CALLED
HOWARD
MY DADDY.
HE CALLED ME HIS SON -- SOUNDS
LIKE JOHNNY CASH.
THESE ARE TERMS OF ENDEARMENT
,
OF HIGHEST RESPECT, LOVE, AND
ADMIRATION.
HOWARD WAS ONE OF MY DEAREST
FRIENDS.
THE SAME IS TRUE AND CAN BE SAID
OF HOW ALL OF MY FAMILY FEEL
ABOUT HOWARD COBLE.
HOWARD WAS AND
IS AN EVANGELIST.
HE SPREAD THE GOSPEL OF JESUS
CHRIST EVERYWHERE HE WENT.
HE NEVER HAD TO USE WORDS.
HIS LIFE AND ACTIONS SPOKE SO
ELOQUENTLY ABOUT HIS MORALS, HIS
ETHICS, AND HIS VALUES.
THE SECOND
CHAPTER OF
PHILIPPIANS, THE THIRD AND
FOURTH ARE, DESCRIBE HOWARD
AND
HIS LIFE PERFECTLY.
"DO NOTHING OUT OF SELFISH
AMBITION OR VAIN CONCEIT
.
RATHER IN HUMILITY, VALUE OTHERS
ABOVE YOURSELF.
NOT LOOKING TO YOUR OWN
INTERESTS, BUT EACH OF YOU TO
THE INTEREST OF OTHERS."
HOWARD WAS AN INCREDIBLY
HARD
WORKER APPEARED SECOND
THESSALONIAN IS A GREAT OVERVIEW
OF THE PROTESTANT WORK ETHIC
WHICH HOWARD SO NOBLY EMBODIED.
HE WORKED HARD, FAITHFULLY
, AND
SUCCESSFULLY FOR HIS
CONSTITUENTS.
HIS WORK ETHIC WAS GROUNDED IN
THE PRINCIPLES OF SERVING OTHERS
, LOVING GOD, AND HIS NEIGHBORS
WITH INTENSITY AND ENTHUSIASM.
HIS LIFE'S WORK WAS AN
EXPRESSION OF APPRECIATION FOR
BEING CREATED IN GOD'S OWN IMAGE
, TO SERVE.
SOME GLAD MORNING WHEN THIS LIFE
IS OVER, I WILL FLY AWAY TO THAT
HOME ON GOD'S CELESTIAL SHORE.
TO THAT LAND WHERE JOY WILL
NEVER END, I WILL FLY AWAY.
I WILL FLY AWAY, O GLORY, I WILL
FLY AWAY.
WHEN I GOT, HALLELUJAH, BY AND
BYE, I WILL FLY AWAY.
HOWARD, OUR DEER FRIEND AND
MENTOR, HAS FLOWN AWAY AND MADE
A THREE-POINT LANDING ON THAT
CELESTIAL SHORE.
ANOTHER OF HOWARD'S FAVORITES
WA
S BEULAH LAND.
HE IS THERE IN BEULAH LAND NOW.
EMBARRASSED
ABOUT THE TRUTHFUL
THINGS BEING SAID ABOUT HIM
TODAY.
THAT SOMEDAY CAME FOR DADDY LAST
WEEK.
AND NOW, HE STANDS TALL IN HIS
ETERNAL HOME.
AT PEACE, NO LONGER IN PAIN,
WAITING TO WELCOME US HOME.
HE HAS LEFT US A PATHWAY, AN
EXAMPLE, A LEGACY WHICH LEADS TO
BEULAH LAND.
WE WILL JOIN
HIM THERE SOMEDAY.
LET'S FOLLOW HIS EXAMPLE.
DO ALL WE CAN TO
LOVE OUR
FAMILIES, LOVE OUR NEIGHBORS,
LOVE OUR COUNTRY.
GOD HAS TRULY BLESSED US AND
AMERICANA BY SHARING HIS
SERVANT, HOWARD COBLE, WITH US
FOR 84 YEARS.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY FOR THE
THINGS HE HAS DONE.