Soy una idea buena

I am learning how to speak Spanish.

For free.

I live with a girl who plans to become a missionary in Mexico, so she uses spanish almost nonstop. I began picking things up by osmosis, so when I began guessing what she was saying or how to say things, she cringed in horror and decided to teach me so that she would never have to hear those sounds again.

So I’m learning spanish.

My frequent slips of tongue have led to much hilarity. For example, I have occasionally switched ‘How do you say’ with ‘Where are.’ So instead of ‘How do you say I miss my roommate’ it came out ‘where is I miss my roommate.’ Also, since I learned French first, I occasionally use a French word instead of Spanish, which causes mi maestra to curl up into a little ball.

Anyway.

One of my recurring mistakes involves my attempts to say, ‘I have a bad idea.” (This happens more frequently than it ought to.) The word for ‘I have’ is ‘tengo’ and the word for ‘I am (permanently)’ is ‘soy.’ Often, I will be trying to say ‘I have a bad idea’ but instead I say ‘I am a bad idea.’ I am permanently a bad idea.

If you’re laughing, I don’t want to hear it.

So, I was thinking about it. I might joke, but we are all, at the end of all things, nothing except an idea that God gave shape.

God thought I was a good idea.

Not only did He create me, but He decided to create me in spite of the fact that He knew every thing I would ever do. Not only did He create me in spite of that, He continues to love me.

God thought I was a good idea.

Even when I mess up, even though I continue time and time again to wrap myself in a shroud of pride, even though I tear others down, He still decided to make me and love me call me His own.

God thought I was a good idea.

What was He thinking? I am so horrible. Of what possible value could my existence be to Him?

God thought my enemies were a good idea.

That person who keeps putting me down? He decided to make them. The authorities who are so terribly wrong? He made them. The greatest sinner you can think of, He made. He knew every awful thing that would be done by each of His creatures, yet He made them anyway. He loved them anyway. He saved them anyway.

He died for them anyway.

What kind of God does that? What kind of Man does that? Who would ever do that?

No comprendo. I don’t understand.

What could I ever do to deserve this?

Soy una idea buena. I am a good idea.

Who would have thought it?

What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this
That caused the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul!

When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down
Beneath God’s righteous frown,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul for my soul,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul.

To God and to the Lamb I will sing, I will sing;
To God and to the Lamb I will sing;
To God and to the Lamb,
Who is the great I AM,
While millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing,
While millions join the theme, I will sing.

And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on.
And when from death I’m free
I’ll sing His love for me,
And through eternity I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on,
And through eternity I’ll sing on.

PS: Any spanish mistakes are mine; do not quote me on anything spanish, go look it up for yourself.