Til We Meet Again by Ray and Betty Whipps

"Til We Meet Again: A Memoir of Love and War" by Ray & Betty Whipps with Craig Borlase is the story of how Ray Whipps came to meet his future wife after fighting in World War II. Their love story is truly a story for the ages as Ray explains the circumstances that led to him ending up in the Army after he had always dreamed of flying in the Air Force.

Ray Whipps was a diligent soldier under the leadership of General Patton in the trenches of Normandy, Paris and Belgium. It wasn't until he had a horrible injury in the Hurtgen Forest that he ended up in a Cherbourg hospital where he met his future wife, Betty. The first thing Ray noticed about Betty was her beauty, but that wasn't all that was beautiful about her. She had a love for God that Ray hadn't seen in so long from anyone else fighting in the war. Her devotion to God is what drew himself to her. He loved her. He knew that much, but he knew that he would never be able to marry her or even pursue a relationship with her until he became an officer.

So Ray made a plan that he was going to become an officer to marry the woman of his dreams. It was at this time that Ray became a Prisoner of War and was missing for quite some time. The worst part of his capture was that the German soldiers confiscated his Bible that he had been reading everyday. He still knew some of the Bible from memory so he held those verses close to his heart until he was able to read a Bible again.

God beautifully orchestrated his life time and time again, and saved Ray from so much heartache during those months he was fighting. Numerous times, God spared Ray's life when everyone else in his platoon perished. Sometimes there was no other explanation except that God had protected him.

In between Ray's story, Betty's letters are integrated every few chapters. The letters begin as her letters to her parents at the beginning of the war describing her life as a nurse in France, and they end with her letters to her future husband, Ray. I absolutely loved their love story! It was truly heartbreaking to read through the things that Ray had to endure in the war. I have so much respect for the military, but to be honest, I had no idea of the things that the troops have had to go through. I will now make it a goal to pray more specifically for our servicemen.

I would highly recommend this book! Ray and Betty's story is timeless and truly an inspiration. What a beautiful couple inside and out.

I received this book for free from Tyndale in exchange for my honest unbiased opinion.