Hold Hope: Encouragement for Christians with Chronic Pain

by Olivia (Feller) Gerber

Hold Hope is a heartfelt journey into the realities of chronic pain and illness, where dreams feel derailed and the future seems uncertain. Through a series of letters, Olivia Feller invites you to walk with her through the valleys of suffering and the questions that arise when life takes an unexpected turn. This book isn’t just another guide; it’s a companion for those moments when you feel most alone, offering a hand to hold and a voice that understands.

230 pages, Paperback

Published October 11, 2024

About the author

Olivia Gerber is a sunset-chasing, Jesus-loving adventurer making the most of her Hoosier heritage. She finds pleasure in perfectly ripe avocados, booking plane tickets, and lavender lattes, but her deepest joy is found at the feet of her Savior and she longs to spread His hope in the world. Her own health challenges have given her a tender heart toward those facing chronic pain, and she loves bringing hope to this under-served community through her new book Hold Hope.

She married the curly-haired love of her life in January and is loving her new married life adventure with Jack! Find her at letterstoholdhope.com and on Instagram
@letterstoholdhope

Reviews

[Ashley Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

To anyone struggling with chronic pain, you NEED to read this. This is a book that I will come back to regularly for injections of encouragement and truth.

“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you
(1 Peter 5:10).”

“I pray that God will fulfill this verse in our lives. That in His graciousness He will restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish us. That He will remind us of the eternal glory that is to come. I pray that He uses our pain, and we would leverage this suffering with gospel purpose. I pray that it will increase our hope in heaven and our urgency to share the gospel with a hurting world, and that we preach it to ourselves when we need reminded that the gospel is not only profitable for salvation, but also for sanctification. I pray heaven will be the healing balm for our souls. I pray God would be gentle with us, but even if we are to be poured out as a drinkoffering, I pray we press on with Holy Spirit power and that He would bless the work of our hands. I pray that He would show us His redeeming work, and that if we must continue to endure through difficulty, He will give us glimpses into why and what He is accomplishing and renew our resolve to believe He. is. worth. it.”

[Rebecca Browning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Olivia does an excellent job of authenticity within her writing. She is real about the physical, emotional, and spiritual pain she has experienced while also pairing her pain with biblical hope. Her foundational hope and joy found in Christ is evident in each page. Even though I have not experienced chronic pain personally, this read helped me to learn what others are experiencing and was an encouragement to me! I’m sure this is a helpful resource to those who are going through chronic pain (and one I would recommend to others!).

[Kaylee · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Original post February 13, 2025]

Olivia crafted such a powerful book full of letters!

It's so refreshing to see a Biblical book about chronic illness/pain. As someone who has had chronic illness for over 10 years, this book resonates with me on such a deep level. Along with Biblical truth, she describes the feelings and experiences of chronic illness so well. I wish I would have had this book earlier in my life to draw wisdom from and fight my anxious thoughts.
The letter that stood out to me the most was "Manna Mindset" What a beautiful reminder of our Saviors love and care for us.

The book is wonderful and I could go on and on about it, give it a read, you know what- give it two! I sure did

[Keri · Rating 4 out of 5]

So fun reading a book by a friend of a friend! This book was chalk full of Scripture and biblical admonishments to hold fast to the faith in spite of our pain.

I will say though, the author is young, and it did show... making me feel like I was too old to be the target audience, since many encouragements and stories were about high school and college life.

Would recommend for chronic pain sufferers in their teens and 20s, but might miss the mark a bit for people dealing with chronic pain while also parenting or caring for parents or just in midlife and beyond.

Still super sweet to see her working through reconciling her pain with God's goodness. You can tell she loves the Lord and wants to honor him with her illness.

[Hannah Kurtz · Rating 5 out of 5]

In “Hold Hope” my sweet friend, Olivia, offers biblically grounded encouragement for those suffering with chronic panic and illness. Through a series of letters, Olivia shares the questions and struggles that she has wrestled with on her personal journey with chronic pain while beautifully pointing the reader to Hope…to Jesus. Personally, I have not experienced chronic pain, but this book gave me a deeper compassion for those around me who are, and it challenged me to live each day with an eternal mindset. I highly recommend this book!

[Stacey Feller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has such helpful insight for those walking along someone with chronic pain… so instrumental in understanding their struggles and being able to navigate it with them. But beyond that, I really find this book to have so many invaluable scriptural thoughts for the chronic trials in life that we all face. I’ve recommended certain chapters to friends and family walking through certain situations. Don’t let the sub title keep you from reading this book… it crosses many lines to encourage all of us in our journeys.

[Megan Smit · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you struggle with chronic pain/illness or know someone who does, PLEASE read this book. Liv gives such a balanced view of both grief and hope. Reading Hold Hope feels simultaneously like a tearful hug from a friend who understands, a deep chat over a cup of coffee, and a sister gently lifting your eyes to the only true hope - the gospel of Jesus Christ. As I’m coming up on 4 years of chronic illness, I still reach for this book at 2am in the middle of a flare and never fail to be comforted, encouraged, and reminded of our sweet Savior.

[Jana Burkholder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hold Hope was written as encouragement for Christians dealing with chronic pain, but the encouragement found in its pages is applicable in many of life’s situations; illness, loss, grief, loneliness. In Hold Hope, Olivia provides comfort and clarity with wisdom beyond her years. Highly recommend.

[Melissa Higey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have chronic back pain, and had been needing a book like this for a long time. I truly felt seen by the author. I loved the format of the letters, and the way topics were divided up, plus the emphasis on scripture and hope that only comes from Jesus. A must read for anyone that has chronic pain or chronic illness or a friend or family member. I’ll be constantly referring back to this book during this journey.