Too Close to Miss It: Silence the Noise

BY ELDER A. WORTHY

On Tuesday morning, I found myself sitting at the airport, waiting to board a flight home. Upon my arrival, I noticed a twenty-minute delay in my flight—but honestly, that didn't bother me. What stood out more was how smoothly everything else had gone.

I had arrived at the airport two hours prior, bracing myself for a long morning. I bought into the chatter that had been playing for a few days about airports having long TSA lines and delays. To my surprise, within 30 minutes, I had made it through the entire process—standing in line, showing my ID, unpacking my laptop, sending my bags through, and walking straight to my gate, gate 96. What I expected to be stressful turned out to be seamless. It felt like a small but meaningful reminder that not everything we anticipate will go wrong.

Once at the gate, I called my sister to pass the time. The area around Gate 96 was crowded, so I settled into a seat between Gates 94 and 96. As we talked, I overheard announcements for a flight boarding to Bermuda. Without thinking, I said, “I wish I were heading to Bermuda instead of sitting here in this cold weather” as we laughed. Boarding continued, and so did our conversation—until the tone of the announcements shifted.

The gate agent began calling for a passenger who had not yet boarded. “Paging Bailey Waters, please board flight 1985 to Bermuda.” The announcement repeated again and again over the next 10–15 minutes. Eventually, my sister joked, “I guess Bailey doesn’t want to go to Bermuda.” Then came the final call:

“This is the last call for Bailey Waters for flight 1985 at Gate 94. We are about to close the doors and depart.”

From just across the aisle, a young woman who looked to be in her 20s, with a book bag on, came running, pulling an earbud from her ear, her voice filled with urgency, yelling, “Wait! Wait! I’m Bailey Waters! Don’t leave me! I had my earphones in, and they were loud, and I didn’t hear you." She hadn’t been far away. She wasn’t lost. She wasn’t delayed getting food, coming from the bathroom, or coming from another terminal. She had been sitting right there the entire time—close enough to hear, yet completely unaware.

Two thoughts stood out clearly from this simple airport observation:

The noise in her ears almost caused her to miss her flight.

She was incredibly close… yet almost missed it.

How often is this true for us?

How often does The Most High prepare something beautiful for us—a place of growth, peace, purpose—and we sit just steps away, distracted by noise? Not necessarily physical noise, but the kind that settles in our minds and spirits. The whispers of doubt. The echoes of past failures. The opinions of others. Even the harsh words we sometimes speak over ourselves.

Noise is anything that interferes with our ability to hear clearly. And spiritually, it is anything that keeps us from recognizing the voice of The Most High.

The truth is, many of us are closer than we think. Closer to healing. Closer to purpose. Closer to a breakthrough. Be aware, the enemy understands proximity and will use distraction to distort it. If the enemy can’t move you away, he will try to drown out the call.

Be assured that we are not without power. We have the power and authority to quiet the noise. If we want to move forward, we have to be willing to quiet the noise.

Sometimes, the very things we allow into our minds—constant distractions, negativity, or even our own limiting beliefs—can keep us from recognizing what’s right in front of us. We can be close to something good, something meant for us, and still miss it because we aren’t paying attention and being distracted.

We must be intentional about what we listen to—both externally and internally. We must learn to silence the voices, the noise that contradicts what God has spoken. Replace negativity with positivity. Replace fear with faith. Replace doubt with the promises already written over your life.

Remind yourself:

• You were created with purpose.

• You are not forgotten.

• You are chosen.

• You are sustained by a faithful God who does not abandon His work.

• You are too close to turn back now. You are too close to miss it!

Do not let noise cause you to miss what has already been prepared for you. Do not let distractions rob you of destiny. Stay alert. Stay listening. Stay trusting. Stay humble

The airport experience was a gentle reminder that sometimes the difference between missing out and moving forward is simply being able to hear the call. Quiet the noise because when the Most High speaks, you want to be able to hear, answer, and obey.

The call is going out! Can you hear it, or is the noise too loud?

Scriptures

Ephesians 2:10

Romans 12:2

Isaiah 41:8-10

Philippians 1:6

2 Corinthians 10:4-5