Quote 4
"Lord we know you know your business. We know we are but a speck of dust in the corner of your eye. But Heavenly Father, grant me permission to speak to you this morning, Sir. Now, Lord, you made the mountains. You made the forest and the streams."
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Merciful Father, you even made the child your faithful handmaiden Patience is carrying.
And Lord, you made the tornado, too. You made everything, including your humble servants.
We understand you already predicted out comings and our goings. The hour and the minute of our birth. And Lord, if you wag your head on us you know the very second of our death. Father, if you wag your head on this unborn child, how can we watch it experience your wonderful light?" (1.9-13)
Mother Barker turns to God as the twister approaches the cotton field where she is working with, amongst other people, the very pregnant Patience. Helpless in the face of this intensely powerful weather phenomenon, Mother Barker places her trust in God.
Quote 5
Mother Barker was quiet for a minute. Then she said, "My mama and her mama before her knew certain things." (23.46)
Here, Mother Barker is referring to knowledge about healing—apparently Mother Barker didn't just up and teach herself all she knows one day, but instead it was passed down to her from her mother, who learned from her mother, in turn. And now Mother Barker wants to pass this knowledge on down to Abby, showing that sometimes family is about blood relation, but sometimes it's about being kindred spirits. In both cases, family is a source of information.
Quote 6
"I shall go where we all must go when my time here is over."
"But how can you speak of it?" Abby wondered aloud already feeling a sense of loss.
"I already talked it over with Barker. He's in agreement. The house will be yours."
Mother Barker registered the look of hurt and bewilderment in the young woman's eyes.
"You're the only child we have, Abby. Even if Patience did give you birth and Strong is your daddy." (25.18-22)
When Mother Barker dies, she and the foreman have agreed to leave their home to Abyssinia. They see her as their child, so they're passing their home onto her in order to set her up for her future as a healer. Aw.