Breakin' The Law

I have begun to think that legalism must come to us naturally. I like to think I am not legalistic. Yes, the thoughts come to me, as I'm sure they do a lot of us. However, it's not what I live by. I try really hard not to communicate to my children that we're living under the law. But based on what I've heard coming out of their mouths, maybe I have some work to do.
Twice in the last few months, riding down the road, my five year old son has made comments that broke my heart. I can't remember all of the first conversation. In the second one, he said, "Mom, I want to pick you some flowers." I, of course, melted and said, "You do?" He said, "Yes. I want to pick you some flowers so you'll love me more." My heart sank. My first thought was, "Do I not love him enough? Does he not feel loved?" I asked him, "Sam, do you not think that I already love you?" He answered that he knew I did. I then explained to him that nothing he could ever do for me or to me would make me love him less or more. That made him happy. Then I explained that God is the same way, only more so, because His love is perfect. We can never escape His love.
Just a few days ago in the car, again not sure exactly what we were discussing (we have some good conversations in the car), Lauren made the remark that we are all sinners. Indeed Romans 3:10 says, "There is no one righteous, not even one". However, 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." I explained that to Lauren, and she said "Yes, I know that. But compared to God, we are horrible." I want her to understand that yes, God is awesome and majestic and worthy, and we can never come close to being Him. But I also want her to understand that when He looks at us, He sees righteousness. Another opportunity came when reading her bedtime story to her. A character in the book said that she wanted to something, "so that I can earn more grace." I said, "Huh? Lauren...if we have to earn it, it isn't grace." She said, very confidently "I know." So maybe I'm not doing too badly after all. My prayer is that the Holy Spirit fills in the gaps where I miss it. Meditating on the subject of law vs grace the other day, this is what the Lord spoke to my heart: He is calling me to a place where I have and show more grace for others than ever before, while at the same time, calling me to a place of more personal holiness and integrity than ever before. I think that's how it has to work. Man, isn't He good.