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One of my mother’s best friends recently visited Los Angeles. Her 16 year old granddaughter is considering attending several of the colleges here, so I willingly enlisted to serve as their tour guide. Even though I’ve lived in Los Angeles for 16 years, I I learn something new about it every day. So I always enjoying taking folks around, because it gives me an excuse to further explore my newly adopted hometown.

Although I had developed a short-list of must see sights, RJ had other ideas. When the college tours were complete, the first place she wanted to visit was the house where the movie Friday was filmed. LOL. I had never been, and didn’t even know that was a tourist attraction. But it is! You can buy T-shirts and everything! Then, she wanted to see the ally where Tre got shot in Boyz in The Hood. After a few more stops (including to Randy’s doughnuts for a dozen glazed, off we went to mingle with the shoppers and stargazers on Rodeo drive. En route, we drove past the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel, which has an interesting history. Its history isn’t as well known as Friday, Boyz in the Hood, Randy’s Doughnuts or Rodeo drive, but it is a monumental tribute to the amazing determination and creativity of the human spirit.

The hotel (and its eye-catching logo) was designed by Paul R. Williams, Jr.., one of the most successful architects in American history. Williams designed over 3000 buildings (not only in Los Angeles but throughout the world), including the homes of many celebrities including Frank Sinatra and Ray Charles. And here’s the kicker: he was African-American. During a time of enormous racial conflict, when so many doors of opportunity were closed to African Americans, this man made an impact in a field that has not been traditionally fertile ground for black achievement. Last year, only 2 percent of the licensed architects in the country were African American—and it was far less than that during Williams’ day. Not only was Paul Williams an architect, he was one of the best—and his his legacy is etched in stone and timber all over Los Angeles.

As I pondered his legacy, a question presented itself. How did this black man achieve so much at a time when so many doors of opportunity were closed? I read an anecdote about this life that offers a clue. It is said that Williams, aware of the discomfort that many of his white customers would have about working with an African American, taught himself how to draw his designs upside down while sitting at his desk, so anyone uncomfortable sitting next to him could his work without having to sit next to him.

Say what????

Yes, you read that correctly. This dude TAUGHT HIMSELF how to draw UPSIDE DOWN so no one would have an excuse not to use his work, which by all accounts was exemplary.

That, my friends, is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!!

He was aware of the obstacles.

So he devised a workaround.

The terms workaround emanates from the field of computer engineering. According to one source, a workaround is “a strategy or technique used to overcome a defect or other problem in a program or system:” According to this definition, the defect is in the system. Life will always present you with obstacles, because all systems have defects. But you cannot allow a defective system to be the cause of a defective dream. To maximize our God-given abilities and to make the most of every opportunity, we must learn to devise workarounds.

Devising workarounds is a time-honored, biblically sound strategy. Gideon, one of the most beloved characters in scripture , employed it to great effect . Gideon is best known for defeating a massive army with only 300 men. But there is an incident that occurred in his life that is far less known, but required far more courage than being outnumbered on the battle field.

God asked Gideon to tear down an altar that his father had built to a false God—a very challenging request. It is extremely difficult not to worship the gods of our parents (their values, their ideas, their opinions. Anyone who has ever had to make a decision against their parents wishes knows exactly what I mean), let alone tear down the altars at which they worship. But in order to obey God, Gideon had to disobey his father and the elders of his hometown. Confronted with this difficult task, Gideon devised a workaround. Judges 6:27 reveals his strategy.

Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father's household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.

Gideon was scared. And rarely if ever, can God’s will for your life be done without fear. But his fear informed his strategy. Since he couldn’t do what God said during the day, he did it at night.

The point is…he did it. He worked around his fear. And he worked around the practices, preferences and prejudices of his father and the elders of his hometown

Here’s the kicker: when the men of the city arose in the morning and discovered that the altar was gone, they went to Gideons father and demanded that he be killed for taking such a radical action. But his father protected him, suggesting that he was proud that his son had the courage to do what he apparently did not. Just as Paul Williams would do centuries later, Gideon took away as many excuses as he could to achieve his objective. He devised a workaround.

Now here’s my question of the day: What’s in your way?

Whatever it is, stop using it as excuse to explain why you can’t do what God has put in your heart.

You may have to stay up all night, or you may have to teach yourself to draw upside down—because workarounds requires WORK.

But there is a workaround.

Go find it.