Where the Wild Things Live

Maurice Sendak’s classic children’s book, “Where the Wild Things Are,” introduces us to a boy named Max. Max is a solitary child liberated by his imagination. Max’s chaotic antics in his wolf suit lead to a dinnerless night in his room. Mysteriously, his room changes into a wild jungle, and he sails to an island of monstrous creatures called the Wild Things. The Wild Things try to frighten Max, but he stands his ground and even intimidates them. Impressed, they crown him their king! Max enjoys a carefree time with them, but eventually, he orders them to go to bed, without supper. Abruptly, Max decides to leave, which then upsets The Wild Things, who then throw their tantrums as he calmly sails away. When Max has returned to his room from his journey, he finds a warm dinner waiting there for him.

The Wild Things do not live in Max’s transformed bedroom, they live in our world. There are many things we cannot control, but one we can control is our perspective. What makes Sendak’s book so compelling is its grounding effect: Max has a tantrum and in a flight of fancy visits his wild side, but he is pulled back by a belief in parental love to a supper ‘still hot,’ balancing the seesaw of fear and comfort.

Max is not the only one tasked with standing against intimidating monsters. Wild things are all around us, and oftentimes, they are within us. The monsters of Max’s imagination were manifestations of his uncontrollable impulses. For Max, it wasn’t his fault he said, “I will eat YOU,” because he was (pretending) to be a wild thing. The Wild Things in this story are what we cannot control, whether real or imagined.

The list of things we cannot control is as wide and varied as the personalities reading these words. But just because they are out of our control does not mean we cannot “intimidate” our impulses into submission, especially when we maintain proper perspective. Max was brought back to reality, a point of equilibrium, when the smell of that hot meal reminded him of the safety and security of his parents’ love.

In times of turmoil and uncertainty, remember the peace and nourishment your Father in Heaven has prepared. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul advises us to…

“6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:6–9, NKJV)

In short, Paul tells us that to conquer the Wild Things we must Pray Right (Php 4:6b), Think Right (Php 4:8), and Live Right (Php 4:9) because God, not the Wild Things, is in control.