What Peter taught me about my post-Easter let down

What can I do after Easter to keep the Easter season feeling alive?

I love Christmas and Easter time, when the world seems to focus more fully on Jesus Christ. This year, at the urging the brethren, I have personally spent more time studying the life of Jesus Christ, honoring Holy Week, and keeping the focus of Easter on my Savior.

In the past, Easter Sunday had been a day of remembering Jesus, along with a few Easter bunny traditions. It was a lovely, single-day oasis in my hectic life. I had never felt it was lacking.

However, this year, with my focus on Him leading up to it, Easter Sunday wasn’t a day-long event, but the dénouement to a month-long journey with Jesus Christ.

In the past weeks, through my studies, I had walked with Him as he comforted Martha and Mary and healed Lazarus, rode into Jerusalem on a donkey to fulfill prophesy, cleansed the temple, taught parables like the ten virgins, healed people, was anointed by those He loved, washed His disciples’ feet at the Last Supper, suffered alone in the Garden, was betrayed, hung on a cross, gave up His life, and was laid in a tomb.

I had learned from Him, cried with Him, and wept for Him.

So, when Easter morning came, instead of wondering what the Easter bunny had brought, I found profound joy exclaiming, “He is risen!”

All the sacrifice, pain, and suffering He experienced was transformed into my salvation.
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In one final miracle, Jesus gave me the chance to see my mom and grandparents again, to be with my family forever, and to become like Him.

It was a profound Easter Sunday. I felt close to Him. I knew Him. And I loved Him even more.

But now, Easter is behind me, and I feel similar feelings to when I take my Christmas decorations down. I’m sad.
I don’t want things to go back to “normal.” Especially after what I’ve experienced this past month. I find myself thinking, now what?

I think of Peter and the apostles. They experienced Easter season in real time. They were there for the miracles and the agony and the triumph. They went through the emotional ringer, and came out sitting side by side with the Resurrected Christ. Can you imagine?
 
Then, after the Savior ascended into heaven, they went on to proclaim the gospel until they died.
But, not before they had their own post-Resurrection let-down moment.

Not long after the Risen Lord had appeared to them, taught them, and showed them many things, Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, James, John, and two other disciples were together. We don’t know where or what they were discussing. Perhaps all of the wonderful things they’ve seen? Perhaps doubts and fears about what would come next? Or perhaps they were talking about how much they will miss Jesus and how wonderful it had been to have walked with them.

Then, Peter does something unexpected. He goes back to fishing.

After all he’d been through and witnessed, he and the others returned to what they were doing before they met Jesus.

I wonder if they felt like I did right after Easter. Coming down from the thrill of Easter season and moving forward into something different. Back into “normal” life.

Then, after catching nothing all night long, they see a man in the morning on the shore.

When Peter realizes it is his Jesus, he “did cast himself into the sea” (John 20:7). All he wanted in that moment, was to be with Jesus. The others took a small boat to the shore, but not Peter. He jumped off the boat without hesitation, and drug himself to Jesus through the water.

Contrast this with another story of Peter and Jesus on the water.

This was a year or two before, earlier in Jesus’s ministry.  Peter was in boat with other disciples when he sees Jesus walking toward him on the water. Peter, in his growing faith, said, “Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water” (Matthew 14:18). Jesus bade, and Peter came out of the boat.

For a moment, he walked on water toward Jesus. But then, he moved his focus from Jesus to the world around him and be began to sink.

Then Jesus caught him and taught him about faith.

When post-Resurrection Peter saw Jesus from the boat, Peter he jumped the water. He didn’t try to walk on water. He wasn’t afraid of sinking on the water. He did what he could—he swam to Him, staying focused on Him.
Peter didn’t need to be invited. He didn’t try to be perfect. He dove in and did what He could get to Jesus.

Here is something I learned from Peter. Peter let his time with Jesus change Him.

I realize that I didn’t simply enjoy celebrating Easter season this year. I let it change me.

I still see the Savior in front of me. But I don’t need to wait for Him to invite.

Because of the time I’ve spent with Him, I know how good it feels to be with Him. I want to be with Jesus more deeply, so, instead of mourning the end of Easter season or waiting for Christmas season to feel this again, I am jumping on the water now.

This looks like staying in the scriptures, spending more time on my knees, worshiping in the temple, serving others, ministering, repenting, talking to people about Jesus. I won’t be perfect at it, but I love that I have the ability to move me toward Him right now.

Though it may seem like I am going back to my regular life, I’m not. I am different.
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Perhaps that is the true miracle of Easter—He was resurrected then so we can be transformed bit by bit now. We can become closer to Him now. We can get closer to Him now.

So, if you’re feeling the post-Easter blues like me, there’s a good chance that it’s because you let Easter season change you too. Or, better put, you let Jesus change you too.
It may not be Easter season anymore, but for us, it’s swimming season. And the water is just right.