Should you RSVP when you won’t know until the last minute whether you can attend?

Dear Faithmate Ethics Advisor,

An acquaintance of mine sent me an invitation for a fancy birthday party she is having but I’m not sure yet whether or not I’ll have to travel for work then.  And I might not know until a couple days before.  Should I reply, or wait until I know for sure?  I never know the rules of RSVPing.

As a Christian, what would you do and why?

Faithmate’s Ethics Advisor says…

“I’m waiting until I know for sure” is one of the most common reasons stated for (rudely) staying silent in response to an invitation.  Standard etiquette, however, says that you should respond with a firm “Yes” or “No” before the deadline stated on the invite.

Of course, sometimes you are truly waiting on something out of your control before you know if you’re available.  My advice is as follows: If you will not have a definite answer before the “please respond by” date, respect your hostess by calling him or her and explaining your situation.  Say something like, “I would love to attend; however, I may not know until the last minute whether or not I have to travel for business.”  Then let them dictate how you should handle things by asking the following: “Would it be best if you put me down as not attending, and then if my trip doesn’t happen, I’ll check back and see if you can accommodate me?”  His or her response should serve as your guide.

Of course, this is just one opinion!  As a Christian, do you agree or disagree?  Post your comments below…