"How Good Do You Want to Be?"

About ten years ago, just a year after we moved to Texas, we were in the Frisco First Ward and we had made a fairly good amount of friends.  Some of our dearest friends were our home and visiting teachers - they loved us and we loved them.  But there were many others in the ward too, but this family especially attached to our family.  They LOVED our kids.
Del was working the first two years we moved here and then he lost his job.  He was without work for almost two years and during that time, we struggled.  I mean, really struggled.  We ate from our food storage, we did without most everything EXTRA, both as parents and our children.  I worked at the schools substituting and Del tried to find work here and there.  During that time, we lived off our savings and then eventually even went about $80,000 into debt.  It was hard, and very humbling.
Of course, our home teacher knew, but hardly anyone else except maybe, some family.  I don't remember the day, month or even year now, but I remember the story.
We had talked many times with our children about not being able to do this or that because there were just not the funds to do so.  They did without a lot.  But it was not as if we ever gave them everything they ever wanted or even ever needed at times.  They were used to doing without.  And they seldom complained.
One night, after we had had Family Home Evening, a knock came to our door.  None of us had jumped up quickly to get the door, so by the time we opened the door, no-one was there.  But on the front porch, lay an envelope that was quickly brought inside and handed to Del, as it said 'The Lott Family' on the outside.
The kids went about their playing and I had gone into the kitchen to do dishes or some other chore.  While in there, I heard Del call for me and so I followed his voice into his office, where he sat with 5 neatly piled stacks of money on his desk.  I gasped with a 'Holy Crap', I'm sure as Del informed me each pile had 10/$100 dollar bills in it...equally $5,000.
There was a note, from someone named 'anonymous', who 'understood our situation and wanted to help' and loved us very much.  Del and I hated to speculate, but we were sure it was our sweet home teaching family as they were about the only one's we knew could afford it.  We cried and felt our hearts fill with such humility and gratitude for such kindness.  We brought the children in and showed them the gift.  Of course, their responses were the same as ours, but they had way more fun with the speculation than we dared allow.
That $5000 allowed us to get on our feet before Del was able to secure a job the very next month.
Over the following ten years, we have been able to finally get out of debt by following a very strict regimented program by Dave Ramsey and just living 'without' until finally, in the past 4 years, Del secured a fantastic job, I have continued to work and we are finally at the point, that we can enjoy returning the favor in smaller ways to many others and enjoy some of the nicer things in life that we have worked years and years to earn and finally have.  Our kids think we are rich now.  We aren't, of course, but we finally have enough to be out of debt, except our home, but also enjoy some things we have done years without.

Tonight, Del calls me into his office and asks me the above question...'How good do you want to be?'  Following that question, he asks, 'How much faith do you have?'.  I know what this is leading up to, so I ask, 'Does someone need our help?'  But this is a little different, because he brings up the kindness extended us ten years before, so I know he's not talking about the occasional $100/$500 or even $1000 that we have giving in the past.  He's talking 'sacrifice'.  I listen...he doesn't give much detail, but rambles a bit about a family in need - doesn't know if we should - do we have enough faith? etc etc.  I feel a little put out by the beating around the bush he's testing me, making me feel like if I don't answer correctly, it's not going to meet his expectations.  But before we have time to go into too much more conversation, he has to leave to go to Young Mens for the evening.
So, I've been left to think while he is gone.
My thoughts...
Why does the level of my faith have to be determined by a dollar amount??  Why does the amount need to be enough to make it a 'sacrifice' instead of just a kindness?  Why does our faith need to be tested in the process to make this effective?  Is it a lack of faith if we give only $1000 versus $10,000??
Every month, Del makes an additional house payment towards our mortgage.  It has been a tremendous blessing to have me working  in order to do this. If I gave up my furniture money of $2000, would he be willing to give up 2 months of his 'extra' payment and not reach his goals??
I don't want this to become a game .  I want this to be a kindness that we do willingly and lovingly because we CAN - not because it is a huge sacrifice or a test of OUR faith.  I want to think about them, but also not lose focus of our goals either, and desires and hopes for OUR future in the process.  But that sounds selfish, doesn't it.  But I'm back to the thought - it doesn't HAVE to be such an amount that it's a SACRIFICE for us.  It can be a kindness.  It just so happens, that the amount given us was $5000.  That doesn't mean our amount has to be the same in order for it to be validated.
DO I MAKE SENSE???
So...How good DO I want to be???