One young woman used her high school graduation ceremony to speak about her faith in and relationship with Jesus Christ and her speech has since gotten a lot of attention.

People have an intense fear of public speaking. Addressing a crowd of one’s peers can be daunting. Figuring out what to say and how to adequately express those thoughts are worries of someone preparing a speech. However, how the speech will be received causes the most anxiety. 

Now, include speaking about Jesus to a group of high school students to the mix and those worries and anxiety will increase considerably. But that didn’t stop Lydia Owens from talking about her personal Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in her valedictorian speech, according to Fox Carolina News. 

Lydia Owens, as a high school student, lost her mother. Lydia, in her moving speech, explained how her mother’s death completely changed her outlook. 

“I had that reality check almost two years ago when my mom passed away,” Lydia said. “When tragedy struck my life, it was not my grades nor my accomplishments that helped me navigate through that loss. When everything else in my life felt uncertain, the only person that I could depend on to stay the same was Jesus.”

Lydia, in her speech to her classmates, also touched upon success. She mentioned worrying about career advancement and fulfilling other aspirations is unnecessary when one knows Jesus Christ.

“You don’t have to worry about whether or not you’ll be successful because God promises that His Grace is sufficient for us and that His power is made perfect in our weaknesses,” she said. 

And how was her speech about her faith, Jesus Christ and redefining success received by her classmates? She received a thunderous round of applause from the room.

“I was like, ‘Ok, like, this, this is the moment that God wanted,” Lydia said. 

Lydia also added that her late mother influenced her life and faith. She mentioned that her mom showed her what it meant to be a woman of God.

Ephesians 4:29 “Let no evil talk come out of your mouth, but only what is good for giving necessary teaching, and for grace to who give ear.”