Thirty-five years ago Madeline Hayward wasn’t someone you wanted to cross.

She had a mean temper and wasn’t afraid of a fight.

A powerful encounter with God in 1982 changed her.

“One day I decided to go to church at First Church of God on North Shore. I didn’t know anyone down there, at least so I thought, but I felt led by the Holy Spirit,” said the 61-year-old.

“I hadn’t gone to church for years before that, and wasn’t brought up in a Christian home, but during the service I automatically felt my heart being stirred. I didn’t understand what was happening. Then when Bishop Vernon Lambe gave the altar call I found myself at the altar, surrendering my heart to the Lord.”

These days, people are often surprised when Rev Dr Hayward shares stories about her inspirational turnaround. They’re often told from the pulpit of First Church of God Angle Street, the pastor recently laid out her days as a drinker and smoker in a book, You Did That? Yes.

She’d had the desire to put pen to paper for many years but struggled over the topic until another pastor gave helpful advice: just start, the Lord will tell you what to write.

“At the end of March the passion to write was very strong on me and I realised this was it,” Rev Dr Hayward said. “I had to just do it — and I knew what I had to write.

“Many times when I preached, the Lord would have me tell my stories of what I did before I got saved and how He one day turned my life around. All the stories began to flow and I remembered things from my past just like it was yesterday. It all came right back to me and I would share the story along with some prophecy, prayer and scripture.

“[He led me to] use those stories to be my chapters for this book. Some of these stories will surprise you. You’ll say, “You did that?” And my reply is, “Yes!” When people see me today they can’t believe the contrast of the now and then me.”

Rev Dr Hayward was often very angry when she was growing up. Other family members were given nice things; she only got their hand-me-downs. It made her resentful.

“I used to hurt people and would like to fight and drink,” she said. “Back then I looked like a nice person but if someone did or said the wrong thing I would react. I liked to golf so most of the time after playing golf I would end up at the bar drinking.

“But for me the transformation happened really quickly. Even a few weeks before I got saved I woke up one day and had lost the urge to smoke and drink, so I feel God was preparing me even before I accepted the alter call.”

Reading God’s word helped show her what things she shouldn’t be doing. Her anger is now gone; small things no longer bother her so much.

“The essence of who God is, is love,” she said. “That love has caused me to know that whatever you go through and whatever you might be feeling, this is the kind of love that another person can’t give you. The love we receive from God restores us and once we have that, then it’s our job to express that to the next person.”

•You Did That? Yes costs $30 at First Church of God on North Shore or pastor.hayward@yahoo.com.

Rev Dr Hayward will sign copies at Kingdom Dynamics Bookstore at First Church of God North Shore on Thursday, January 26 from 4.30pm until 7.30pm.