by Rhonda Rhea @RhondaRhea

I think about 87% of my shopping at a couple of my fave department stores happens in the maze of a checkout line. Through the labyrinth, the marketing geniuses who came up with this merch-maze lure me left and entice me right. They all but twirl me and whirl me through what must be three miles of displays and shelves, all full of every magical item I never knew I needed but suddenly realize I can’t, no cannot, make it to the register without. Cannot make it through lifewithout.

Recently I went into the store for a journal. That’s it. Just that one thing. When it came my turn to pay, I took my lovely, flowered journal out of the basket and set it before the cashier. And then set a mug beside it, one with a saying on it that had made me chuckle. Then some chocolate-covered cookies on top of that. Then a pen with a furry poof. Then I unloaded my socks with Bible verses on them. Only a barbarian could say no to Bible socks. And finally, I hauled out a handful of refrigerator magnets. Because they match my décor. And because you can never have too many refrigerator magnets. Rolling through that maze, I had found “one more thing” and then another “one more thing” to heap onto that one. It’s like they were all gifts. And all of them for me.

So guess what. By the time I left that store, I felt like I had a lot more to write about in my new journal.

It may sound weird, but it reminds me of the grace of God. How many of us went to God to ask for grace solely to ease our guilt? We were shopping for just one thing—a quick fix for that nagging guilt. All we wanted was relief from the bothered conscience that made our days feel hopelessly dark.

But the more we experience His grace, the more we realize His grace is so much more. More than a quick fix for nagging guilt. The grace of God is the foundation upon which we build the closest, most loving relationship with our heavenly Father. And—more upon more—in this relationship Jesus made possible with our Father, we get to know our God more. And more. It’s a relationship that carries us through good times and bad, successes and failures. It carries us through every maze of life—all the way through to eternity. More grace. Have you noticed that knowing Him more and understanding His love for you always results in worshiping Him more? Oh, the marvel of never-ending grace.

John 1:16 tells us that “from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace” (CSB). Grace on grace on grace. The Amplified Version describes His fullness as “the superabundance of His grace and truth” and describes our grace on grace as “spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favor upon favor, and gift heaped upon gift.”

A-maze-ing grace is a labyrinth of more. Grace for forgiveness, grace for living, grace for enduring—more. It always keeps on giving and growing and showing us more of Him. I cannot live without this grace on grace. The “one more thing,” deep, beautiful gift of grace.

In closing, though, could I share a little shallow-sided “one more thing”? Because I had to note this in my new journal: “I now officially have too many refrigerator magnets.”

Rhonda Rhea is an award-winning humor columnist for great magazines such as HomeLife, Leading Hearts, The Pathway, and many more. She is the author of 19 books, including the popular romantic comedies co-authored with her daughter Kaley Rhea, Off-Script & Over-Caffeinated and Turtles in the Road. Rhonda and Kaley have also teamed up with Bridges TV host Monica Schmelter for the Messy to Meaningful books and TV projects. Along with Beth Duewel, Rhonda writes the Fix Her Upper series, and she also co-authored Unruffled: Thriving in Chaos with Edie Melson. She speaks at conferences and events from coast to coast, serves on many boards and committees, and stays busy as a publishing consultant. Rhonda says you can find her living near St. Louis drinking too much coffee and snort-laughing with her pastor/husband, five grown children, and a growing collection of the most exceptional grandbabies.