John Foster got emotional while hitting a major milestone on his 19th birthday. On July 9, Foster performed at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, and opened up about how the massive moment brought tears to his eyes.

“I’m glad I was able to hold back my tears until I was walking off stage—because the moment I stepped out of view, they started flowing,” Foster wrote on Instagram. “To receive a standing ovation on the biggest stage in country music (The @opry) on my 19th birthday is a feeling I’ll never forget. Thank you so much to everyone who voted and supported me on this journey. If there’s one thing I’m feeling right now, it’s “Why Me, Lord?” Glory be to God!”

This was Foster’s second time performing at the iconic venue following his second place finish on American Idol in May. The aspiring country singer has been making the most of the momentum he received from the show, spending plenty of time working in Nashville over the last several weeks.

“I’m super excited to actually get into the real work now,” Foster recently said on the Fable House podcast. “I’m writing. I’m in talks with recording. I’m going back to Nashville soon and getting in talks with lots of people where we’re going to make lots of music really soon, and I think people are really going to like it.”

He also added, “I am confident and I am excited because when you’re put with the right people, when you’re put with these really professional people in Nashville, I think they’re going to bring out the best in me and I might actually like my own stuff.”

Foster finished behind Jamal Roberts in the ABC singing competition and said he believes that was meant to be. “God has a reason for me being runner-up and I will always trust His plan,” the teenager previously wrote on Instagram. “This is merely a first step into what He has in store for me, and I cannot wait to see what lies ahead.”