The Heart of a Servant

    If you find yourself on State Street looking for a good hot dog, you might turn down Henry Street and find yourself heading into Mad Dog’s Eatery. Chances are you will find the two owners Steve Nelson and Nate Schiesser. You will also find some of the best dogs in town. Steve first purchased Mad Dog’s Eatery more than a year ago, when he found himself looking for a good quality hotdog for an honest price, at the time Mad Dog’s was closed up, the previous owners opting to start a different franchise elsewhere. Steve purchased Mad Dog’s, and his good friend Nate bought in shortly after.

    However the story here isn't really about Mad Dog’s Eatery, nor is it about hotdogs, nope the story here is about Steve and Nate. You see, since opening Mad Dog’s, Nate and Steve are paying the bills, providing excellent hotdogs, but they’re not getting rich. At least not in the usual sense.

They both work second jobs on the side.

Nate works an additional 30 hours a week working as a waiter at a sushi bar on the side, and though weeks can be long, and finding time for hobbies and luxuries can be difficult, Nate keeps a positive attitude, and a willingness to work hard. For Nate, the desire to own and operate his own business, gaining experience and knowledge and seeing customers satisfied with his hard work is what keeps him coming back for more.

“If you start going down the path of ‘money first’ it’s hard to get out of it,” Nate says.

Steve has a second job as the food operations manager and cook at Bethel Lutheran Church. He splits his time between Bethel Lutheran and Mad Dog’s Eatery, often working long hours. For Steve, his passion is cooking, and serving, seeing the satisfaction in other people at a well made dish. As part of the food program at Bethel, Steve will cook for the homeless, and cater events, like weddings and funerals. When asked about Bethel’s catering, you can hear the joy and sincerity in Steve's voice when he recounts the most meaningful aspects of cooking at Bethel.

“To cook at a funeral, and bring a smile to someone's face, or to hear that person say they haven't tasted a home cooked meal like that since their mother made it, this is what keeps you going.”

When called upon to prepare food for a funeral Steve will talk with the family and they will say ‘give us the standard items, whatever you make’ but Steve will ask “whats your favorite family food?” He’s made lasagna, scalloped potatoes and ham. He even had a lady bring her fathers favorite apple spiced cake recipe and made that for his funeral.

Steve’s motto is, ‘we’re here to serve.’

How refreshing.

No wonder when I asked him how his walk with the Lord was going he didn’t hesitate and replied, “hand in hand.”

Steve’s journey with the Lord started early. He was fortunate enough to have a strong youth pastor at his church in Michigan with an interest in missions. He went on a mission trip with the Appalachian Service Project to Kentucky. This he says is where, ‘his eyes were opened up to poverty, need and God’.

Later he moved to Madison and was working at a daycare cooking. At her home in Michigan, Steve’s mother, a musical director at her church, was planning a regional conference and was speaking to Ed Young, business manager at Bethel Lutheran Church in Madison. After finalizing arrangements Ed said to her, Is there anything else you need from me? Steve’s Mom replied “no, is there anything else you need from me?” Casually, he remarked, “if you know anybody who cooks we need one.”

Well, long story short Ed is given Steve’s number and he’s out of daycare and in at Bethel.

He was Immediately inspired knowing that, “this was an area of ministry he wanted to be in.”

God is faithful in some of the most casual ways isn’t He?

Nate was encouraged by his parents to go in to business for himself. He mowed lawns, shoveled sidewalks and even sold candy on the bus rides to school.

While not knowing much about food but going to school for elementary education he found himself as a teacher in a daycare. The same one where Steve was the cook. They became fast friends.

And now business partners.

While Steve’s passion is cooking, Nate’s is serving. He likes to work the counter and has a ready smile.

In fact his motto is ‘keep smiling all day, pass it along, and that person will pass it on to someone else.’

Steve and Nate have hired homeless people offering them the dignity of a job as well as furniture and a bed.

Steve observes, “its not for us to pick and choose who we’re gonna help.”

In helping the homeless Nate recalls the story of Jesus feeding the multitudes with a few fish and a couple loaves of bread. Though he hasn’t seen God multiply hotdogs he understands the compassion He had for the hungry and carries that same heart for the community around him.

Both Nate and Steve do their work as unto the Lord; their families, employees, the less fortunate come first, then themselves.

Nate operates on the philosophy of what ‘goes around comes around’... and his favorite verse is...

“Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.”  (John 8:7)

Right now Mad Dog’s is a labor of love, building wealth, ‘where it cannot be destroyed’.

It isn't just the satisfaction of a job well done, it's doing God's work as a servant on Earth. Serving others isn't popular in today's society. The reality of the American dream is to do everything for yourself, to make money, buy expensive toys, these are the things our culture in America value. But to see in these two men the attitude of a servant, and the willingness to work hard for others before yourself, that is the real treasure.

If you’re looking for home style catering for any family or business function or just a darn good kosher all beef dog, look up Steve and Nate at Mad Dog’s Eatery - it’s a slice of Heaven.

January 28, 2011

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