Graced to Lead

Ep.16: Embracing the Wait: Practical Tips for Leading while Waiting on God with Carla Clark

• Belinda Gaston • Season 1 • Episode 16

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Unlock the true essence of waiting on God with Prophetess Carla Clark on this episode of the Graced to Lead podcast. Waiting isn't about inactivity; it's a dynamic journey of faith and movement, even amidst delays. Carla shares her personal experiences, offering profound insights into how these waiting periods have fortified her trust in God's timing and meticulously prepared her for the divine plans ahead. Together, we redefine waiting as an active period of spiritual growth and preparation.

Transitioning to leadership development, Carla shares lessons from her career journey from a teacher to an administrator, underscoring the significance of utilizing waiting seasons to hone essential skills for future leadership roles. We explore maintaining faith, humility, and a positive attitude during frustrating delays, demonstrating how persistence and continuous learning can shape one into a capable leader.

Lastly, we spotlight the crucial role of trusted advisors and feedback in both personal and professional growth. Carla provides invaluable advice on handling relationships and the necessity of having a seasoned mentor with a genuine track record. This episode is packed with wisdom, encouragement, and actionable steps designed to help you thrive in your leadership journey and maintain a strong devotional life with God. Tune in for a transformative experience that promises to enrich your faith and leadership skills.

Mentioned during the show:

Connect with Carla Clark and Lion's Roar Ministries
Facebook: Carladclark
IG: @Carladclark

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Belinda Gaston:

Welcome to the Graced to Lead podcast. I'm Belinda Gaston, your host, and listen. If you are a Christian woman who leads at work, in your own business or even in ministry, you are in the right place here. You'll find practical advice and encouragement as you lead through real conversations that will challenge and inspire you. So join me on this journey to becoming better leaders God's way. Are you ready? Let the journey begin. Welcome to the Grace to Lead podcast. I'm Belinda Gaston, your host, and listen. Today we have an amazing guest. Today we're going to be talking about what it means to wait on God, and I have with me someone whom I deeply admire, none other than the prophetess Carla Clark.

Belinda Gaston:

Carla Clark is a woman of passion who's driven to see men, women and children walk in their God-ordained destiny. She has co-labored for over 18 years in pastoral ministry with her husband, pastor Dawn Clark. She's the founder of Lions Roar, a ministry designed to train, teach and activate believers in their prophetic gifts. Train, teach and activate believers in their prophetic gifts. Her School of the Prophets is preparing prophetic people all over the nation to walk effectively in their prophetic gifts. She believes that every believer should impact the kingdom of God and the kingdom of hell. By using their gifts, she endeavors to create atmospheres where God can dwell and hearts can be mended. And her genuine love of God will compel you I know it compels me and her boldness will encourage you and her faith will motivate you.

Belinda Gaston:

Not only is she the founder of Lions Roar, but she has authored several books on the subject of the spiritual gift of prophecy. Those titles include Finding my Roar this is one of my favorites a prophetic training manual. She also has Finding the Lion within a prophetic, a prophet's manual, and 30 Days of Prophetic Activation a devotional journey. Her manual has reached so many destinations. People are reading her books in Kenya, in Ghana, in Nigeria, so you need to get those. I'll make sure to put those in the description, and she's a native of Atlanta y'all. After 30 years she has retired from her role as a school administrator. So, leaders, she is a leader, leader. Her academic accomplishments includes a BA degree from Georgia State University, a master's degree in education from Mercer University and an EDS degree in educational leadership from the University of West Georgia. Can you join me in welcoming none other than the Carla Clark Welcome to the Graced to Lead podcast?

Carla Clark:

Well, thank you, Belinda, for having me. I'm excited today for what the Lord is going to do and just for the conversation and the insightfulness that the Lord is going to give.

Belinda Gaston:

So I'm just excited to be here Thank you so much and, for leaders, for those of you who are listening, there are a couple of things that we're going to talk about, but the main thing we're talking about is waiting on God, and if you have listened to the last two episodes, you know that a couple of weeks ago, we had Michele Scott, who talked about hearing from God. She talked about cultivating a relationship with God and, as leaders, the importance of that. And then last this week, I did a solo episode where I was honest with y'all about listen. I wanted to quit this here podcast, like I was done. I'm tired. You know, god said that if I did this thing and I led in this way, that all these things were gonna happen, and they didn't happen, and so I was like I quit.

Belinda Gaston:

If you haven't listened to that episode, please go back and listen to it. But I talked about what you do when you feel that way and how you push through, and one of those things is you have to wait on God, and so that's where our conversation is going to pick up. This is very, very timely given the conversations that we've had so far, and so, carla, we're going to get started by just talking about what it means to wait on God. I think people have so many notions of what that means, but can you tell us what it means for you when we say wait on God?

Carla Clark:

So, belinda, thank you. When we talk about waiting on God, I guess I wanted to refer to Isaiah 40 and 31. And it says but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk in not faith. When we talk about waiting, it's a delayed action for a particular thing to occur or even a particular destination. But when we think about waiting on God, I believe it's not saying that we are standing in one place, right? So, even if what we are waiting on is delayed, that we don't just wait in that place. That's like if you're at a train stop and the train is not coming, you're just standing there.

Carla Clark:

But I believe when we talk about waiting on God still means that there is action and there's also movement until the thing that we're waiting on occurs. And let me just say this, and as we wait and a lot of times we don't want to do this it aggravate and it aggravates our flesh, it frustrates us in the natural. But really, when you talk about waiting it, it really kind of uh, releases the gift, the fruits of the spirit, that place of enduring. It tempers us, it forces us to trust God, trust his timing, trust that he knows what he is doing, and I would say that it is a process of learning to trust him over years, over time, that when you have had a situation where you've had to wait on the Lord and he came through, then the next time comes, it gets to be a little bit easier. I believe that waiting on the Lord also increases our trust in him. I think, as leaders, as people, that and this is easily said and done that it's a learning process. We have to learn to wait nothing done.

Belinda Gaston:

That it's a learning process. We have to learn to wait, yeah, and I'm glad that you mentioned that, because a lot of times when we think about wait, we think of it as passive, we're just going to sit and we're just going to wait, and that can be really frustrating. And so the idea that, as we wait, it's an active thing to wait is really important. And I know that you mentioned over time, you learn how to wait and you learn to trust in God, and I know that when you wait, you are listening and you're hearing and you're trusting while you are actively waiting. But how is it all really related? What if I'm a leader, I've prayed for some things and I'm waiting on some solutions or something from the Lord and I'm new to the faith, or maybe I don't know what it means to hear from God? How is waiting on God and hearing God or listening to God? How is that related? And hearing God or listening to God? How?

Carla Clark:

is that related? That's a great question, because many times when we're waiting sometimes and not all the time, but sometimes when we're waiting many people see it as God being silent, or they have experienced him being silent in the waiting, or sometimes he is giving instructions. So when you're talking about waiting and listening, that in the waiting season, in the place that you're being active, that you have to become very sensitive to what the Lord is saying to you, because in the waiting, I believe that he is giving strategy for preparation, especially as a leader, that he is giving strategy for preparation before he tells the train to leave the station. There are some things that you have to do to prepare for, for example, you and your podcast. Maybe there were some things that he calls a delay on or calls you to wait on. But even in the midst of that, what was the preparation? Who were you then saying? You know what? I didn't think about this person to come and speak, but you know what? Maybe, lord, this person can come and speak. Or that he began to change some of the topics that he was giving you in the waiting.

Carla Clark:

So I think that when we are waiting on the Lord, that we should press into or desire or diligently seek his voice. I think that would be a good term to begin to diligently seek him and seek his strategy, begin to ask him why the way or what should I be doing in the waiting? Am I preparing, am I getting more knowledge on the thing that I need to be doing? Am I even reaching out to people who may be a little bit further ahead of me while I am or even maybe I'm supporting a leader who's doing what I want to do at that level? Because that causes a place of preparation.

Carla Clark:

I think many times as leaders we move out into places that we have no knowledge of, we have not sought any help, we haven't sought any wisdom for them, and I think those kind of things cause delays. Those things cause us to be in a waiting season so that we can strengthen our position and our conviction for where we are right now. Because once it really gets to moving, things really get moving, whether it's in ministry, whether in business, whether in career. Once things get really moving, many times we find ourselves in places that we don't have time to listen as intently because things are moving. So I think that the listening and the waiting kind of run in the same stream, I guess I would say.

Belinda Gaston:

You just brought up. Something that we don't think about often as leaders is what are the things that you can be doing while you're waiting? Right, and so you talked about even reaching out to other people who may be ahead of you in leading. Or if you're thinking about someone right now in my network who's trying to make a decision, a leadership decision, that's going to impact other people in her business, and while she's waiting to hear from God, I don't think it's ever dawned on her to reach out to someone who may be more experienced in that area to seek wisdom and advice, and that's something that we definitely can do while we're waiting. So thank you so much for sharing that, and I wonder, if you were to describe for leaders why this process of waiting is so important, what would you say? Why is waiting on God important for leaders?

Carla Clark:

I think I touched on it just a little bit about what it does to character, right, what it does to who we are. I mean, you know, you've heard the quote that says that your guilt can get you a place, but your character keeps you there. So in the waiting, our character is being built. I want to give you an example. I retired as a assistant principal and so I was a teacher, and as a teacher I knew I wanted to be in leadership. I knew that I wanted to be an assistant principal and listen, it was like it just took so long, like I had delays where it seemed that everybody else had an easier journey. They like they jump right into the process. I was having to go to people and having to have them to vet me to another person and it just seemed like the truth is, just throughout my entire journey, that it has been a journey of waiting or delay, but in the midst of that, so I was. I was an instructional coach or something like that before I became an assistant principal. But I work very closely with the assistant principals and anytime they ask me to do something, I always say yes, whereas you find people that many times they'll say, well, I'm not getting paid for that. I'm not doing that. They keep asking me to do all this. I'm not getting paid for that. That's not my title. But in the waiting process that you need to be doing more than what's expected. Even if people think they're using me, they're taking advantage of me, let them take advantage Because in the midst of them taking advantage, in the midst of them quote unquote using you, you are stacking your resume by learning new skills. And I give the example that by the time I became an assistant principal, I walked in the door ready. I didn't have to get ready. I didn't have to walk around the building talking about what should I do, because I used that waiting time, which was very frustrating. I used that learning time to increase my skill set. So I moved from the teacher arena, from a classroom of 120, where I became responsible for 400 kids plus 20, plus adults and sometimes 100 adults when you're talking about school-wide. But I was ready to walk in that and this is a true story I walked in ready. So my first year was not like a first year, because I had done so much, I had gained so much experience that my learning curve was not as great.

Carla Clark:

And so sometimes in our waiting period, we have to humble ourselves. As the scripture says. Humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God that in due season, that he will exalt us. But in our humbling, so you can't think of it, they're humbling me, they're doing this to me you need to think about you know what? Oh, you want me to do this with this Excel file? Oh, I'm learning this. You want me to do this with parents? Oh, I'm learning this.

Carla Clark:

So it's about in the waiting, as a leader, what can I learn and who can I learn it from? It humbles us, it tempers us. It tempers our need to just jump right in there while we're in the process of waiting. I think that it can be extremely frustrating because you know, the scripture talked about, we talk about Joseph. He has a dream. It takes him 20 years. The scripture says that the word tried Joseph, that it tried him, which means it was kind of aggravating. He's like well, you said that my brothers were going to bow down to me and I'm in a pit, I'm being accused of this.

Belinda Gaston:

But when he became a leader, when he got to that destination, he was better for it, even though we don't want to say that, but we are better for it sometimes it is incredibly frustrating, and thank you for being so transparent about your own experiences, I think, as leaders, especially if you have an idea of where you think God is taking you right. So there's some leaders who are listening, who have an idea of where God is taking them, or they have a vision of what they should be doing, and the longer it takes to get there, the more frustrating, especially is what. Something you said is that you saw people who would just get in there and they'd be promoted right away, or they get in the position and you're like well, I'm still, I'm still here, and so I think that's wise advice. And you talked about humbling ourselves. I'd like to know, in your moments of frustration, how did you snap out of it, so to speak? I mean, how did you bring yourself out of being frustrated? What would be your advice for people in that position?

Carla Clark:

that's a good question, but I'm going to be honest in this, that I don't know that the first instruction left the. The point of it is, though, that you cannot allow the first instruction to show. So, when you're talking about career moves, when you're talking about ministry moves for me and this is honest, and for other people, maybe they can say that this is what I did for my frustration, but it speaks to the same thing about growth and humility that frustration never left. However, I did continue to declare the word, I continue to lean into faith, and my faith was growing, knowing that. God, you know what, even though I'm right here, that I know you're going to work this out, who do I need to talk to? What door are you going to open? For me? It's kind of like I still had, you know, the battery ram that I continued to knock at the door. I just continued to knock, like I was frustrated, but I did not allow the frustration to show, and many times and I know this because I've done this long enough that you see people who want to move up and they allow their frustration to show.

Carla Clark:

You can't play that hand. You can't allow that, and you get an attitude, you get bitter with the people that are being promoted. You get bitter with the people that are above you, as opposed to allowing that frustration to go in another place and begin to put on a different face. It's not being fake and it's not even faking it till you make it. It's just that in professional setting, when you're trying to move up, are you really showing that you have what it takes to be a leader? Because when you get in that place of leadership, you're going to have so many frustrating things that happen. And if you have not learned how to deal with that once again, because you're dealing with the frustrated in the waiting if you have not learned how to manage your emotions, when you get into a place of leadership and that seat of leadership it is going to come out, it's going to explode, it's going to manifest and the people are going to be like, oh, my goodness, and then it's going to be well. That's why we didn't promote them in the first place, right?

Carla Clark:

And I also wanted to add to this that sometimes in our waiting of leadership and promotions and things like that, that the Lord also uses that place of waiting to move us to another place for some of us, Because sometimes we're in companies and careers and we're like why are they not moving me? Why are they not moving me when the Lord is saying move to a different place, whether it's a different company, a different school, a different people because he's trying to get you to move. Because sometimes the Christian, if you're new to this, you're like I'm going to be remote in this place, in this office, in this company, and the Lord is like no, I need you to move to this place. Not for everybody, but that does occur. Like I've had to tell people you need to go to another school. If they're not going to vet you here, go somewhere else. It is a learning process and we only learn that in the waiting.

Belinda Gaston:

You said so much the idea of movement. It makes me think about position. You talked about waiting and working. You've talked about waiting and preparing. It also sounds like waiting is also a part of positioning and I don't think that people think about that, because sometimes we have our hearts set on the thing. It's like I have this.

Belinda Gaston:

I remember I remember when I got married, when I was preparing for the wedding, I had this idea in my head of what the wedding was supposed to be. I've been dreaming about this wedding since I was a kid. It was. I was going to have this kind of dress, I was going to have this kind of you know, it was going to look this way. And I remember, as we started planning, as I started planning the wedding, it was nothing at all like I imagined it would be, and I remember being frustrated about it and I had a friend that says why are you missing out on the blessing of the right now? Because you're holding on to an image that never was, and that's what came to my mind when you were talking. Some of us in leadership who are waiting are waiting and missing out on all the opportunities that you described of being able to train under somebody or learn new skills or whatever that is, or even move to a different place, because we're so focused on our idea of where we should be.

Carla Clark:

Yeah, it's true, because when I was and I'm only talking about from moving from the teacher to the assistant principal that every time they asked me to do something new that I had never done, I was like, oh, that's that in my resume. I was big on that, so that when I walk into an interview and I tell people that I will mentor people that are moving into leadership, just it's stacking your resume. Do find out how to do that and then begin to just add it to your resume Because, once again, you don't have to get ready. Your learning curve is not as great. And just think about this when you walk into an interview and I've had this happen so many times that many times people come into an interview and certain things they're not able to speak on, not because they can't do the job, they don't know the job, but if you walk into an interview having never done the job but you're able to speak to the responsibilities of the job because you've done it, the likelihood of you getting the job is greater than if you've just sat and been mad and talk about they're trying to use me, they're walking all over me.

Carla Clark:

I'm not doing that because I've heard people say this. I'm not doing all that. I'm not getting paid to do that. I'm not doing any extra. I'm not staying late. I'm not doing all that. I'm not getting paid to do that. I'm not doing any extra. I'm not staying late. I'm not doing any of that. Because, to be honest, all of those things play into the promotion, play into the next, play into the place of leading.

Belinda Gaston:

That was great advice. Thank you for answering. So I think this really does get us into the next question, which is what are some practical tips we can use?

Carla Clark:

while we're waiting. I think I've shared a few, but I want to add this one, though, that I don't really think I really talk as much about as just finding a place of prayer and solace with the Lord, that Lord, wherever I am. The scripture says that in whatever state I am in, that I am content, that I know how to abound and I know how to abase that, even in my frustration, that I can be content, or I can look content in this moment because I am building my relationship with the Lord, I am taking more time out with the Lord, I am seeking him, and in seasons of waiting, they definitely cause us to press into the secret place a little bit more. And that's OK, right, because it's really for some of us. It almost feels like a valley experience when we are in a place of waiting, whether and I know it's about leadership, but whether or not, whether it is somebody waiting to have a child, waiting to get married, waiting to get promoted, waiting to have your idea vetted, idea of that, it, this, these great ideas that you have in your life, but they're not listening it is an opportunity for well, I don't even necessarily think it's an opportunity, but it is a way that the Lord begins to take us through the fire to refine us, because it is very frustrating.

Carla Clark:

People, uh, lose their vision in the waiting. People begin to lose their yes in the waiting. People begin to lose their yes in the waiting because they begin to say well, you know what? This must not be for me, lord. You gave me this strategy, you gave me this business plan, but it's not coming to pass, so it's not even. It's not even for me, but in truth it is. It is for us right, because it is about faith. It's the service of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. And I'm talking about things that I know. I'm not talking about just my opinion. I'm talking about things that I know in the Lord, that we learn to trust him in the process. So it's a process of waiting and in that we learn to trust him, we learn to build our relationship with him when we feel that we're in the valley, and we learn to handle our emotions. We learn how to not show our emotions. And I'm going to be honest, this is not an area that I've been successful in, but as a good leader, you know how to manage your emotions, because if you can't manage your emotions over on this side when you're leading 100, 200, a whole company or organization, a ministry, it's going to come out, and so one of the preparations is to build that devotional life in spite of what you're going through. So that was one. Number two definitely begin to talk to people that are in a position that you want to be in. And also I did not talk about this Find books, find podcasts In 2024, let me tell you something In 2024, there's probably not there.

Carla Clark:

There's nothing that you can say. I cannot find information that we are an informational rich society. So, whatever it is that you want to do, think about hope, to do just a thought or impression that there is information, that I mean. So now you know, used to be where people can make an excuse. There is information I mean. So now you know used to be where people can make an excuse. There is no excuse. There are no excuses for not knowing, and even I would say you know I'm not. You know we're talking about being promoted mock interviews. If we're talking about how do we vet an idea, then seek out that information, because the thing is we think we know right, especially when we are already leading and, depending on whether we're in the CEO suite high up, we think we already know.

Carla Clark:

I'll give another example in that, no matter I had been an administrator, and this is for 15 years that and I went to several jobs and every job that I went to I did not go in there talking about I already know. You know what I mean. I went and looked I was like let me fire some interview questions. What kind of questions are they going to ask me? What is new about this school? Because I didn't know and I have seen people because I was, I was a person that interviewed people. I we hired people that I've seen people walk into interviews and completely unprepared, and I'm thinking you didn't get the job not because you didn't know, but because you did not prepare.

Carla Clark:

So there has to be, in the season of waiting, preparation for whatever it is you believe in God to do for you, whatever, whether it's promotion, whether it's, like I say, you're trying to vet an idea that people are not listening to. You want to lead a different team. You even want to begin to build your own team of people. That there are places of preparation, that there's a work of preparation that we have to do that. Can I be honest? So many people are unwilling to do it and they don't do it Even at the highest level. You still have to prepare. I don't want to belabor that point, but I do want to press that point because I've just seen it time and time and time and time again where people come in and they're just unprepared in the next thing that they want to do. So I want to say that building your relationship, your devotional life with the Lord, that place of preparation, to me those are two big things.

Carla Clark:

When we talk about waiting, and I would just say just trust him, trust the process, trust the process. Learn to manage your emotions. That one thing, right there, that's a big deal. You have to manage your emotions. You one thing right there, that's a big deal. You have to manage your emotions. You see people just come on Google. Whether it's at work or in ministry, you're like you can't lead like that if you can't manage your emotions, whether it's anger, whether it's frustration, whether even if you're just so excited sometimes, even in that, depending on where you are, you have to manage your emotions. So I think those three are very, very important.

Carla Clark:

Let me say this, and I think also, when we're talking about waiting on the Lord, thinking about how you deal with people. So relationships, relational behaviors that begin to think about how do I deal with people, behaviors that begin to think about how do I deal with people and and you know also the feedback of is something keeping me in this place of waiting, like what, what is keeping me? Many times, when I went from a teacher to the assistant principal, I began. It took me a couple of interviews, right, and so every time I begin to go in and I would say to the deep, can I get feedback on my interview, like what happened or what did you think?

Carla Clark:

And many times we don't want to get any feedback and many times we need feedback. It is a small thing that sometimes we miss because we don't listen, we don't want to listen to others, and so, finding a trusted voice that's in your field or is already doing what you want to do, and allow them to give you feedback about you, what is it that some of your blind spots that you don't see, and even some of the great, some of your gifts that you don't know, are apparent to you, that both of those things are necessary. So receiving feedback as well. Those were really really good.

Belinda Gaston:

I was trying to make sure I got all of the notes, but you talked about spending time with God and really digging into that devotional time with God. You talked about positioning yourself and making sure you're in the right position. You talked about preparation and listen, that's the hard one. That's the one that I have to continuously remind myself of, because preparation is hard, especially when you feel like okay. So I'll just say for the listeners, I have a know-it-all spirit sometimes, and sometimes I feel like, well, I already know that one. But once you start to prepare, you realize that there is always more and more and more that you can know, because things are constantly changing. So preparation is huge.

Belinda Gaston:

And then the people aspect of it and the relationships. I think we take for granted, particularly in a world where a lot of communication is digital, that relationships still matter and how you handle people in the place that you are, that's preparation for how you're going to handle people in the next place that you go, and so I think that was really good. And then, finally, you said having a trusted advisor and I think this topic has come up a couple of times during the season on these episodes of how important it is to have that person that you trust, that you are willing to receive. So it's one thing saying going to someone and saying, hey, I need a mentor, hey, I need you to be my advisor, but if you don't listen which is what you talked about if you don't listen, then what's the point? And so someone that really you can receive from and you're open to listening. And so those were excellent, excellent practical tips that we can use.

Carla Clark:

And I think about the trusted advisor as well that let the trusted advisor be doing something that you want to do or that they are ahead of you. Many times, especially now with social media, that we don't vet people. And then all these people they want to teach you about life coaching, they want to teach you about money matters, they want to teach you about all these things, but they're not doing it. Not only are they not doing it, they've never even experienced it. And so when you're talking about a trusted advisor, you need to know their resume, like what have they done in their life, in their business, in ministry? And we got to be able to discern that, because even people that we believe that may be trusted advisors, they can't teach us something that they don't know. Even though they may think they can, they can't.

Carla Clark:

So I wanted to definitely throw that in for our listeners and to be discerning when we talk about who are our trusted advisors. Who can I go to? And sometimes you know you're thinking to yourself well, how do you know what the person has done? Google, google, like really, what have you done? Because people can talk a good game, what can I see your resume? And I and I'm very and I'm very serious about that, because people say they do something you'd be thinking you have not. So I want to leave that as a number one point, that when you're talking about a trusted advisor.

Belinda Gaston:

So thank you, belinda that is, and we are and I'm laughing because we're in a society where everybody has a book, a course or something on how to do something and most of the time they haven't even done it. They took somebody else's course and they repurposed the content and then somebody else buys it for 99.95. So that is excellent advice, boy. This conversation has been so rich listeners. I know that you are taking notes. Because I'm taking notes, I think I'll just I'll stop here and ask you if you have any final thoughts. It feels like that last comment about trusted advisors is something we can hang our hat on. But perhaps there's something else. If you had to leave our listeners with any additional final thoughts, what would you share if you had to leave our listeners with any additional final thoughts.

Carla Clark:

What would you share?

Belinda Gaston:

If anything.

Carla Clark:

I guess my final thought would be, just especially because this is a Christian based podcast is to trust the process, trust the Lord through the process and don't give up. Like don't give up in the middle, don't stop in the middle just because it seems hard, because it's a delay, because people are not favoring you in this season. I would just encourage you not to give up. And you know I've heard people say and I like unseating things that that people think that people begin to say it's not his will for me. And I had a testimony that I was going from a paraprofessional to a teacher to somebody and we were praying about it and the person told me well, it's not the Lord's will for you to teach right now. I was like no, that's not true, like I had to like back up from that.

Carla Clark:

So when people tell you different things, don't don't be discouraged in the middle. Know that the thing, the vision that he has given you, the call that he has given you to the promotion, the people that he is calling you to gather that he is faithful, the Lord is faithful to his word, that he's not going to leave you know as he forsaken you, and so stay the course. I guess I would that. That would be what I want to say Stay the course and trust the process and count the cost. Jesus talked about counting the cost. Count the cost of where you're trying to get to. So those are my last words, melinda, and be prepared when you get there.

Belinda Gaston:

Those are excellent last words. I have been blessed with this conversation. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Thank you so much for sharing. I know that our listeners want to know. First, share anything that you have coming up, that you'd like to share, any new resources, anything like that. But also, how can people reach out to you? How can they connect with you? How can people find?

Carla Clark:

you. I am on Instagram and Facebook. You can find me there under Carla D Clark and under Lions Roar. You could also find me under my website at lionswarorg. You could DM me, you can send me an email and those are the ways that you can find me. If you are, you know you can email me. I'm definitely open to people emailing me. You can find my email through the lionsroar. org website and I think that's the easiest place, if you're not on social media, to connect with me and contact me is through my website.

Belinda Gaston:

Thank you so much, and so for our listeners, as always, I'll put all the ways that you can connect with Carla Clark in the description box, so you'll have that in the notes, as well as all of the links that she had mentioned during this interview. Providence, carla, thank you so much for your time today. You have really given us some things to think about while we're waiting. I know this is going to resonate with people based on the messages I've been receiving during this season, that there are people this podcast season, there are people who are waiting and are frustrated, and I think you helped us to change our mindsets a bit on the wait, and so thank you for that, thank you for your time and thank you for your wisdom.

Carla Clark:

Well, Belinda, thank you for having me on the Graced to Lead podcast and thank you, audience, for being attentive and engaged with us today. And those of you that are leading, keep on leading, even in the difficult times and the dark times, because we need those in leadership that people are waiting on you. Some of you are not leading now, but people are waiting on your leadership. So don't draw back from the place that the Lord has called you to, whether it's in the marketplace, whether it is in corporate America, whether it's in the educational system or whatever mountain of culture that you are on. Don't draw back from that place, because the world needs you that. They need the light in dark places. So, once again, thank you, Belinda, for allowing me to be a guest on the Graced to Lead podcast.

Belinda Gaston:

Thank you and for our listeners. Thank you for tuning in. Remember to subscribe. If you're listening to Apple, amazon or Spotify, you can subscribe to the podcast. You also can click on the link in the description box and listen directly from the website. There is a feature where you can chat with me. Some of you have chatted. You can always send me a text message. They come directly to me and I do respond. So thank you for that. And share, share, share the podcast. We are just a few downloads away from 500 downloads from our podcast, and so I am just grateful, grateful, grateful for you even listening in and supporting the Graced to Lead podcast and remember always, until we meet again, that you are indeed Grace to Lead and we'll talk again next week. Take care, bye-bye.

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Belinda Gaston

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